The Second Time
by cmar
Summary: PRTF: Wes and Eric face a deadly challenge. Death, love, and time collide as the present comes under attack from the future again. Reviews contain spoilers. Part 3 'Time' Series. Complete.
1. Shadows

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Alex, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Logan, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

This is part of a trilogy, which is a sequel to _A Year of Time_, based on the Time Force series, and takes place a year later.  
It should be considered AU, some details are different from the series. (The future Rangers are from two hundred years in the future, Trip and Katie are mutants, etc.)  
The trilogy consists of _The Other Side_, this story, and _Time Over_. Yes, Jen's in this one, especially in later chapters.  
Some readers may be upset by a certain turn of the plot (or two) - all I can say is, never give up! 

These stories are meant for non-fans as well as fans and also intended to be able to stand alone, therefore there is an annoying amount of recapping and description in early chapters -- sorry. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

Please review, authors live for feedback. Constructive criticism is welcome. 

* * *

* * *

Shadows

* * *

Wes Collins crouched behind a crate, trying to get a look at the enemy while not being seen. Three other Silver Guardians were beside him, blasters in hand. They were in a Bio-Lab drug warehouse, a vast building, packed with storage cartons and shipping crates like the one providing them shelter. It was night, and there was only the dim interior lighting to see by. Maybe a good thing, since the thieves couldn't see well either. 

He peered around the side of the crate, watching dark forms swarming over the supplies. They were going after the narcotics, of course, the most valuable drugs. They didn't seem to know they were being watched. The silent alarms had summoned Wes and the other Guardians, and they were still in the process of moving in. 

He looked to the side, where he could see other small groups of navy blue uniformed Guardians quietly moving from one hiding spot to another. After a few moments he spotted another red beret, like his own, on a dark head several yards away. He waited until Eric Myers, his partner and co-commander, looked his way, and exchanged a nod with him. 

They eased upward, along with the others, resting their arms on top of the crates, steadying their aim. Wes looked at his partner again. Eric jerked his head in the direction of the thieves and looked expectant. 

Wes sighed and took a deep breath. Then he shouted as loudly as he could. "Silver Guardians! Drop your weapons or we will be forced to shoot!" 

The thieves jumped and stared for an instant. Then they were scrambling for cover, and using their weapons. The Guardians ducked as bullets flew, and responded with a blaze of blaster fire. 

Wes looked in Eric's direction again. The situation was dangerous and neither wanted to allow their troops to be injured, not when they had a way to prevent it. He saw Eric raise his left arm, which had a device like a large watch strapped to the wrist, and nod. He raised his own arm, which bore a similar device -- a morpher -- and tapped a button on it. 

A moment of brilliant light enveloped him, sending a familiar surge of excitement through his mind and body, heightening his senses and leaving him strengthened and energized. In a moment he stood, no longer dressed in the navy blue uniform, red beret, and equipment of a Silver Guardians commander. Now he was wearing the form-fitting red and white helmeted suit of a Red Time Force Power Ranger. He swung up his arm again and pressed another button on the device. A blaster -- more powerful than the Guardians' blasters -- materialized in his hand. He knew the extra-dimensional machinery of the morpher had converted it from its hiding place in subspace into the normal, three-dimensional universe. 

Behind his cover, Eric had undergone a similar transformation, becoming the Quantum Power Ranger. His suit was a darker version of Wes's, red and black, with jagged edges between the colors instead of straight. His blaster, the Quantum Defender, was larger and more powerful than Wes's, and holstered on his hip. He drew it now and stood up. 

Both men leaped onto the crates they had been crouching behind. Wes felt bullets impact him, but they were no more than an annoyance while he was protected by the Ranger suit. Together they jumped to the floor and charged forward, targeting the thieves and picking off several as they ran forward. Wes had his blaster set on non-lethal power and knew Eric had done the same. 

In a moment they were in the midst of their enemies, quickly stunning as many as they could. The thieves erupted in a confusion of shouting and running, breaking from cover, which allowed the Guardians to hit more of them. The others fell back. As Wes and Eric pursued, two men suddenly popped up from cover, between them supporting a formidable-looking weapon, almost like a small blaster cannon. As the two Rangers paused momentarily, they opened fire. 

A blast of energy struck them, much more powerful than the Guardians' blasters or their own. They both had leaped aside at the last moment and avoided the full impact, but Wes could feel it, a painful shock through his body that threw him to the floor. With a quick glance he saw that Eric was already rolling back to his feet, and quickly pushed himself up. They both ducked behind the nearest objects and began to exchange energy bolts with the enemy as they tried to target them again. 

Taking a moment to look around, Wes saw that the blasts from the cannon were inflicting heavy damage on the warehouse, and endangering his men. Even as he took a breath to order them back, he heard Eric shout, "Fall back! Take cover!" A moment later his morpher beeped, the sound almost inaudible through the noise, but his helmet tuned it in. Through the Ranger communicator, he heard Eric's voice. 

"Wes. Try to circle around them. Hit them from behind. I'll cover you." 

"Got it." He eased back, and dashed for the next crate that offered concealment while Eric intensified his fire. In less than a minute he had worked his way to a spot where he could see the men using the blaster cannon, still facing toward Eric. He aimed carefully and with two quick shots dropped both of them. 

"Lay down your weapons!" he shouted. The rain of bullets faltered, and stopped. He saw hands start to go up, and a few of the thieves stood cautiously. He got up and walked into the open, heading for them. 

"Wes!" he heard Eric's shout, just as he saw one of the surrendering men drop his hands and grab a weapon from the back of his belt. He had time to see that it was a blaster, not a gun, before it fired at him. The energy struck him, a powerful blast, hard enough to knock him down and leave him breathless. It was too much for his suit, coming so soon after the assault from the blast cannon it drained the power from his morpher. He felt a painful electric shock sensation and saw warping light as his suit disappeared, leaving him again in uniform. 

Weakened by the forcible demorph and unable to move for the moment, he looked up, seeing that Eric had blasted the man who had attacked him. But the remaining thieves were running, some of them using their guns again. Slowly he raised himself to his knees, determined to help, and drew his Guardian blaster. But his reflexes were still slow, he couldn't aim fast enough. And he couldn't move to safety. 

He felt something hit the right side of his chest like a hard punch. As he tried again to get up, a dizzying, sickening sensation ran through him and he fell to a sitting position, supporting himself on his hands as burning pain blossomed. In shock, he looked down to see blood rapidly soaking the cloth of his uniform. The light around him suddenly started to seem too bright and thin, the sounds receded and became tinny. His head whirled nauseatingly. 

Forcing himself to focus, he saw the Guardians break from cover and pursue the thieves. Eric was running ahead and had already accounted for most of them, and it only took a few more moments before they were on their knees, hands in the air, with the Guardians handcuffing them, Eric covering them with his blaster. 

"Sir, you're hurt." Wes felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Steven Miller, their second-in-command, next to him, his face concerned. Two more Guardians came and bent over him. 

A moment later Eric was there, pushing them aside to kneel in front of Wes. He raised his morpher and spoke the command to demorph, changing back to his uniformed self with a shimmer of light. His face was anxious, maybe even fearful. He ripped Wes's uniform over the wound, quickly assessing it, then gripped his arms. 

"You should have stayed under cover." 

"Yeah. Too late now." Wes tried to smile. He coughed, painfully, and saw blood appear on his hand. Fear abruptly ran through him. 

"Just take it easy. The paramedics will be here in a minute." Eric looked up at Miller. "Steve, take charge. Make sure the ambulance crew gets in here fast. Was anyone else hurt?" 

"I'll check." Miller moved off at a run. 

Eric shifted to Wes's side and put an arm around his back, supporting him. Wes leaned on him, closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, biting back a groan. The pain was intensifying, each breath sending a sharp stab into his chest. The rational part of his mind knew he had at least one broken rib, probably a punctured lung. 

"Sir." Miller's voice, sounding distant. "Two more men were hit by gunshots. Both minor." 

Eric's voice, tight with anger and concern. "Take care of them. I can't leave Wes." 

"Yes, sir." 

Wes drifted, his consciousness shrinking to pain and voices that seemed to come from an increasing distance. It was becoming hard to breathe. He felt Eric's arm tighten around him and heard him again. 

"Wes. Hang on. You'll be all right." He tried to nod. 

Then there were more people, more voices, hands touching him and moving him. Fresh pain, this time making him cry out aloud as someone did something to the side of his chest. But afterwards he could breathe a little more easily. A blur of light, noise, and motion as he was lifted onto something he knew must be a stretcher and carried out into the night. A moment later he was inside an ambulance, more people working over him, exchanging rapid comments, most of which he didn't understand. Within what seemed like seconds, the rear doors slammed and they started to move. 

Eric's face bent over him. "Wes?" He tried unsuccessfully to smile. "Don't crap out on me now. Your father would kill me." 

"Tell Dad..." 

"You'll have to tell him yourself. You're not going anywhere, I won't let you." Eric's dark eyes narrowed, and his hard face was harsh with determination. In that moment Wes could believe that if Death dared to show his face, Eric would kick him in the balls and send him running. 

He smiled hazily. "Tough guy," he mumbled. He felt his eyes closing. Everything was getting dark. _That's such a cliché, but it's true,_ he thought vaguely, as he finally passed out. 

* * *

Eric watched Wes's eyes close with a feeling close to panic. "What's wrong?" he shouted at the paramedics. They bent over their patient, ignoring him until one of them glanced up. 

"He's stable for now," the man said. "We'll be at the hospital in a few minutes." 

Eric stared at Wes's face, normally handsome and smiling, now pale and drawn with pain, his dark blond hair streaked with blood where he had brushed a hand over it. Eric swallowed. Absently he wondered how it had happened that he cared about this man, someone he had actively disliked up until less than two years ago. Yet he and Wes had learned to trust and depend on each other, and had slowly become friends, closer friends than Eric was really comfortable with. He didn't like the feeling of caring for someone else. It made him vulnerable. 

The ambulance slowed and stopped, the rear doors opening to reveal the hospital emergency room entrance. Eric scrambled out and helped to lift the stretcher, then followed as they went inside at a run, blinking in the lights, so bright after the darkness outside. The other wounded Guardians were being brought in too, and he stopped briefly to reassure himself that their injuries weren't serious. Then he hurried after Wes, following until the doctors took over and ordered him out of the trauma room. He stood outside the observation window, trying to follow what was going on, Miller and several other Guardians joining him there. 

Turning away from the window, Eric pulled out his cell phone. Someone had to tell Wes's father, and it was his responsibility. He dialed Alan Collins' private home number from memory. 

_"Hello."_ The voice was curt, with an undertone of irritation. Collins was usually busy, even at home, and disliked interruptions. 

"Mr. Collins. Sir." Eric paused. 

_"Eric. What is it?"_ A touch of concern now. 

"Alan." Eric never used Collins' first name in the context of their working relationship, only at the Collins home on social occasions. But it seemed right now. 

_"What's wrong?"_ There was sharp alarm in his voice. 

"It's Wes. There was a robbery at the main drug warehouse. There was a fight. He's been hurt." 

Silence for a second. _"How bad?"_

"I don't know. He was shot. He's unconscious. There's a punctured lung. They're working on him now. We're at Silver Hills Hospital." 

More silence. Then quietly, _"I'll be there as fast as I can. Don't let... anything happen."_

Eric closed his eyes, and heard the phone disconnect. He went back to the window. They were still swarming over Wes, which at least meant he was alive. Then they were disconnecting instruments, and quickly wheeling the stretcher out. He moved to intercept them, and one of the doctors cut him off, pulling him aside. He resisted the impulse to yank his arm away. 

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "Where are you taking him?" 

"We're taking him upstairs to surgery, to repair that lung and remove the bullet. No guarantees, but it looks like he'll make it." The doctor smiled briefly before running toward the elevators. Eric watched him go, feeling himself sag with relief. 

The next hours seemed to crawl, as Eric waited, reassured Collins when he arrived and found a doctor for him to talk to, took time out to check on the two other wounded Guardians, then waited some more. Finally they looked up to see the same doctor approaching, a smile on his face. They stood to meet him. 

"Surgery went well," the doctor told them. "He's going to be fine. We expect a full recovery. He'll be back on his feet in a couple of weeks, but he'll have to take it easy for a while." 

"Don't worry about that," Collins said. "I'll take care of him." He looked at Eric with a smile. "Whether he likes it or not." 

Eric smiled too and patted Collins' arm. "The other Guardians will want to know. Excuse me." He walked a few steps away and called Miller on his cell phone, quickly telling him the news. Then he walked back and sat next to Collins, noticing for the first time how uncomfortable the seats in the small waiting area were. 

"Eric, how did it happen?" 

"It was a robbery. The silent alarms went off, and we responded. We got in, got close, behind cover, and challenged them. They fought. They seemed to only have guns. Wes and I morphed, and went after them. Then all of a sudden they pulled out this blaster cannon... I've never seen anything like it. They almost got us, but Wes took them out. They started to surrender, but one of them had another blaster, a strong one, as strong as the Quantum Defender I think. He got Wes. Didn't hurt him, but he demorphed. Then they started shooting again and he got hit by a bullet." He shook his head slightly at the memory. 

"Blasters better than ours? Where did they get weaponry like that?" 

"That's what I'd like to know. They were as good as anything the Time Force police had. We captured both blasters, maybe we'll know more after Mike Zaskin takes a look at them." 

Collins looked thoughtful. "Remember that mind control device TransGenics used on Wes? That was advanced, too. And the sisters said they had other things like it. Raises an unpleasant possibility." 

Eric sighed. The thought had already occurred to him. A few months before, a rival company called TransGenics -- or T-Gen -- had used an electronic device to drive Wes almost insane. He had been saved by five identical sisters, mutants who had escaped from a laboratory where T-Gen had created them as an experiment in developing mental powers. They had been unable to explain how T-Gen had such advanced technology, both the mind-control device and the treatment used to mutate them. 

Combined with what he had seen today, it raised a very unpleasant possibility indeed. "You're thinking those things are from the future. Someone's using a timeship to bring them here." 

"I'm afraid we have to consider it." 

They were silent for a few minutes. Eric found his tired mind drifting to thoughts of a particular one of the sisters. They had had a brief and disastrous romance, which ended when he found out she had been using her own power on him, to attract him to her. They had wanted information from him, before they had decided to trust Bio-Lab with their secrets. He had thought he was in love with her. And he could still feel some of the overwhelming fury, pain, and humiliation he had felt when he knew the truth, and the guilt of what he had almost done to her in revenge. Now she was gone, along with her sisters, to a new home, but not before the two of them had made peace. With her power's influence over him now gone, he was starting to be able to think of her without pain. Almost. 

With an effort he roused himself and turned to Collins. "You should get home. I'll stay here." 

Collins smiled. "No way. You go home. You look like you could use some rest. And I'm sure you have better things to do." 

Looking at the older man's worried face, Eric asked, "Is there any way you're going to leave tonight?" 

A smile, tired but resolute. "He's my kid. I'm not moving until I can see him." 

"Okay." Eric leaned back, trying to get comfortable. 

"Eric. Go home. You'll have a lot to take care of tomorrow, and we need you rested." 

"You don't mind if I leave?" 

"I'll make it an order if I have to." 

"I guess they wouldn't let me in to see him anyway. I'm not family." 

Collins smiled again. "I'll make sure they let you in tomorrow. I'll tell them you're his brother." 

Eric almost laughed. "Yeah, we look so much alike." He stood up. "Okay. Call me if anything happens. I'll be back in the morning." He laid a hand briefly on Collins' shoulder and turned away. 

* * *

_Year: 2202_

Jen stood at her window, looking out at her favorite view, the city stretching out beyond the slight rise her apartment building stood on. She smiled, her eyes following the graceful sweep of towering buildings, reaching for the sky. Her face became more serious as the memory came back to her of the view from the old clock tower. The view she had seen daily for a year, Silver Hills spread below her, just as beautiful. 

With the skill of long practice, she pushed the memory away. But today it refused to go. Instead another memory surfaced. A face, one she had loved very much. Wes, smiling as he had usually been smiling. The same face as Alex. She smiled, slightly and ruefully. Once Wes's face had reminded her of Alex. Now it was the other way around. 

She knew why the memory was so vivid today. There had been a ripple in the timestream. Just an indication, for now. But, combined with the minor disturbances they had detected a few months ago, it meant something was happening. Jen frowned at the thought. If someone was interfering with the past again... It could be any time in history that had been affected. Somehow, though, she knew. It was two hundred years ago. And it involved Wes. 

Resolutely she turned away from the window and started her daily routine, finding a clean uniform and getting dressed for another day at work. He was part of the past, the past she was sworn to protect, even at the cost of never seeing him again. 

* * *


	2. Sunset

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Sunset

* * *

Eric watched Daryl Gunn, taking a moment to relax as the Bio-Lab security chief sat at his desk reading a report. Gunn was his kind of person, quick, efficient, and didn't care too much about the niceties. Eric's respect for him had grown over the last few months, as they worked together. He looked over at the other occupant of the room. Dr. Michael Zaskin sat in another chair in front of the desk, wearing his usual slightly anxious expression. 

Gunn's office was sunny, comfortable, and cheerful, in contrast to his rather impersonal and often formal manner. Eric's thoughts briefly visited Mr. Collins' dark, bare office, and his own, which was small, undecorated, and contained only the necessary items. Some people assumed he resented the fact that Wes's office was considerably larger and more impressive than his, and both Wes and Mr. Collins had tried to get him to take something better. But the truth was that he preferred to stay where he was. Any form of luxury made him uncomfortable. 

"Interesting," Gunn remarked, bringing Eric's attention back. 

"I thought so too." The report was from Dr. Zaskin, on the two blaster weapons that had been recovered from the break-in at Bio-Lab's drug storage warehouse two weeks ago, the weapons that had been used on him and Wes. "Those weapons aren't based on Bio-Lab's blasters. They're much more powerful, more advanced. If that blast cannon had hit us directly, I might not be here right now." 

"Where do you think they came from?" 

Eric hesitated and glanced at Zaskin. He, Collins, and Wes had discussed this only the night before. The inevitable conclusion had been that if they expected Gunn to do his job in this situation, he would have to know the truth. It had fallen to Eric to tell him. 

"That's… a long story. Remember the mutants from a couple of years ago?" 

"Of course. Before my time at Bio-Lab, of course, but I was living in Silver Hills. They almost destroyed this city. And Bio-Lab, as I recall." 

"This must be kept in confidence." 

Gunn smiled. "I can keep secrets." 

"I'm not kidding. Only a few people know about this." He waited for Gunn to nod, a bemused expression on his face. "Those mutants came from two hundred years in the future. They were criminals who came here trying to change their own history. The other four Power Rangers -- besides Wes and me -- were law enforcement officers from their time who came to take them back. The Ranger weapons all come from the future." 

Gunn stared at him without expression. "The future?" he finally said, his voice skeptical. 

"Think about it. Mutants, advanced weapons, the Ranger equipment, the Q-Rex. Where did you think they came from?" 

"I heard rumors about the future. But most people think they came from secret government research projects. Or outer space." 

"And is time travel less believable than that?" 

"Maybe not. Are you sure about this? That they traveled through time?" 

"Wes and I took a little side trip into the past. Sixty-five million years ago." 

Zaskin spoke up, his voice wistful. "I wish I could have gone along. To actually see living dinosaurs…" 

Eric frowned. "It wasn't exactly fun. We almost ended up getting eaten." He still occasionally had dreams of being chased into a tiny cave by that huge and terrifying creature. 

Zaskin grinned. "Would have been worth it." 

Eric turned back to Gunn. "Do you believe us? You can ask Mr. Collins if you like. Or Wes." 

"No need. You don't impress me as the type to make up something like this." 

"Good. To get back on the subject, we think these weapons may have come from the future." 

"As far as we know, Bio-Lab is the only one that examined the mutants' and the Rangers' technology," Zaskin said. "We never got anywhere, except for the Guardians' blasters, which are a simplified version of the mutants' blasters. We aren't capable of building better ones. No reason to think anyone else could either." 

"So you think someone's visiting us from the future again. Bringing weapons," Gunn said slowly. 

"And if that's true -- their government strictly forbids interfering with history. They have to be criminals. They've been giving weapons and other technology to T-Gen and the gang that tried to rob us," Eric said. "Probably selling them to the highest bidder." 

"In which case, we have a serious problem." Gunn leaned back with a half smile. "I have some friends in low places. I'll put out feelers. Let it be known that Bio-Lab is interested in buying advanced weapons. Maybe we can get in on the action." 

"And I'll call a few of my friends in the police department. See what they found out from the men we captured." 

"How's Wes, by the way?" 

"Fine. Still at home, recovering. He should be back sometime next week." 

* * *

Wes eased himself into the chair carefully. The doctors said his ribs were healing nicely, but they didn't feel very nice. Once settled, he looked down at his plate unenthusiastically. 

"Dad. Mashed potatoes and tomato soup?" 

"You're supposed to be recuperating. Taking it easy." 

"It's not my jaw that was broken. How about a hamburger?" 

Collins laughed. "Sorry. Philips just automatically went into his 'nursing the invalid' mode. Can't get him out of it. I'll talk to him again." 

"Thanks." With a sigh, Wes started to eat. "How's things at Bio-Lab?" 

"Fine. Eric's increased security on our storage facilities." 

"Yeah, he told me." 

"If those weapons really came from the future, we've got trouble." 

Wes looked at him. "You know it's the most reasonable explanation. They have to have come from the future." He was silent, his appetite suddenly gone. His father watched him with concern in his eyes. 

"Eric and Gunn are working on it." 

"Yes. I'll have to talk to them. See what I can do to help." 

"Wes, you're supposed to be resting. I don't want you getting involved." 

"I _am_ involved. Jen and the others are my friends. If something's going on in their time, I need to help them." He looked at his plate unseeingly. 

It had been over a year now since they had left. Trip, Lucas, Katie, and most of all, Jen. His friends and the woman he still loved. He had never expected to see any of them again, but if someone was traveling between their time and his... maybe... 

"A letter came for you." Wes looked up as his father held it out to him. It was an obvious attempt to change the subject, and not an unwelcome one at the moment. He took it and opened it, seeing that it was from Emma, his former assistant, one of the mutant sisters who had been their allies against TransGenics a few months ago. 

"What does she say?" 

"I'll read it to you." He held up the sheet of paper and began. 

_Dear Wes,_

_I heard today you were hurt, but you're going to be all right. I hope you're feeling better by now. Gina says she felt something bad, and she still feels like something very bad is coming. At this distance she can't do any better than that, so I don't know if it means anything, but please be careful._

_We've settled in pretty well now. I'd like to let you know exactly where we are, but the others think it's too risky. Anyway, we're doing fine, and having a great time on your father's money. Just kidding. Dana and Carrie have gotten jobs, with help from your father again. I hope if they spend more time with humans, they'll learn to like them more, although Dana says her boss is enough to turn her off humans forever. Angela is working also, and Gina is considering a career as a criminal mastermind. Just kidding again._

_I hope Eric is over Angela by now, and having a mad, passionate affair with someone else, preferably Gaby. Don't tell him I said that, he'll glare at you and tell you how ridiculous the idea is._

_We all want to thank you again for helping us with the treatment for our illness. We all feel fine now, and Gina says we are cured._

_Tell everyone at Bio-Lab I miss them. Say thanks to your father for us, and to yourself, and Eric, and Stevie Miller, and the Gunn._

_Bye for now, Emma_

Collins frowned. "Something bad's coming. I don't like the sound of that." 

"Yeah. Too bad Gina never seems to see the details, until it's about to happen." 

* * *

Gaby tried hard to get her uncooperative body into the right position. She flexed her knees, trying to stay balanced, ignoring the ache in her muscles. But as soon as her arms were right, her legs were wrong again. 

Eric had decided he wanted a computer in his home, complete with secure access to Bio-Lab's systems. Since Gaby was the company's computer security manager, he had come to her for help. Typically, he was unwilling to accept a simple favor, and had offered to give her a few lessons in martial arts in return. She had accepted mostly out of curiosity. 

It was slow going so far. Gaby had a certain natural athletic ability, but knew she lacked coordination and balance, and that she could never come close to his level. Eric had said she was a challenge, probably trying to be nice for a change. She watched him, moving fluidly through the positions, every motion graceful, his body powerful and controlled. Beautiful. 

Watching him, she had to admit that there was another reason she had accepted their bargain. She had always found him physically attractive, and wanted to get to know him better, find out if the attraction went beyond the surface. Her first impressions of him had not been favorable, she had found him moody, hot-tempered, and unfriendly. But in the months they had been working together, and forming a tentative friendship, he had improved, or perhaps she had learned to be less critical. 

"Focus. Just relax." Eric's voice was smooth and soothing, very different from his usual abrupt tones. 

"Yeah, easy for you to say. If I relax, I'll fall on the floor." 

Eric smiled. "You need to concentrate, not make jokes." 

"I'm not joking." 

"Try the movement again." 

She sighed and decided to distract him. "I really appreciate this." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm so bad at this... for you it must be incredibly boring." 

"I wouldn't say that." He smiled again. "It's probably hard on you, trying to teach me how to use a computer." 

"You learn pretty fast." 

"Your legs are too straight. Concentrate." 

"Geez. I thought this would be more fun. So far it's just getting in weird positions and doing movements and exercises. When do I get to kick your butt?" 

Suddenly he moved forward, so fast she couldn't react before he had grabbed her and thrown them both to the mat. He landed on the bottom and instantly rolled them over, pinning her. He grinned down at her. She became sharply aware of his face so close to her own, and the weight of his body on hers. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he was off and standing, putting a hand down to help her up. 

She thought she saw a trace of embarrassment in his face as he said, "Sorry. But I'm afraid it's going to be a while before you kick my butt." 

"I guess. But you could always _let_ me win." 

"Fat chance." 

"You are _not_ a gentleman," she grumbled. He laughed in response. "That's the tenth time I've seen you laugh." 

"You're keeping count?" 

"It's such a rare occurrence." She smirked at him, earning another smile, and got back into position. 

* * *

"You're almost done." 

Ray Pettis blinked, waiting for the face above him to swim into focus. After a moment he could make out the features clearly. An angular, intellectual face, with short dark hair. Dr. Jonathan Alcott, his employer. The only person who cared about him. The man who was making him into someone worth being. He smiled. "Thanks, Dr. Alcott." 

The face moved away, but he could still hear the voice as hands pulled the needles from the veins in his arms. "This was the last treatment. How do you feel?" 

"Still weak." 

"That'll pass quickly." 

"Yeah, like before." He sat up slowly, feeling Alcott's hand steadying him. After a pause he swung his feet to the floor and stood up. Already his strength was coming back. Not just ordinary strength, the kind of strength the treatments were giving him. A moment of dizziness came and went. 

"I'm thirsty." 

"Sit down. I'll be back with something for you to drink." 

He sat and listened to the footsteps going down the hallway outside the small treatment room. Another effect, his hearing was much better than it had been, much better than any ordinary person's. He smiled. He was becoming a new man. 

Suddenly energized, he stood and moved in front of the mirror Alcott had put against one wall, probably to encourage him. Looking at his reflection, he could see the change in himself, and knew it would only increase. He raised his arms, flexing the impressive muscles that hadn't been there two months ago, admiring the face that now seemed bluntly handsome instead of sallow and weak. Even the paleness and the thickened, slightly rough texture of his skin pleased him. The strangest thing was his hair, it was growing in a pale blue, instead of the light brown he was used to. 

It was worth it. He was stronger than any weightlifter, could run faster than a racehorse, could _move_ faster than anyone. His hearing, eyesight, and sense of smell were better. There was a change inside, too, his mind was starting to work better and faster. Maybe soon he wouldn't even be dumb anymore. He laughed. He had become Superman. Or maybe Captain America was closer. 

And he owed everything to Alcott, and the company he worked for, TransGenics. They had taken him in when he was broke, a high school dropout, without family or friends. His mother had given him up when he was a small child, and died soon afterwards. He had never had a father. Alcott was the only person who had ever taken care of him in his seventeen years of life, the only person who had ever given him anything. And his loyalty was absolute. 

Footsteps came back up the hallway, and the door opened. He accepted the glass Alcott offered, and drained it. "Thanks. How long before I get stronger again?" 

"Not long. In a couple of days the effect will be complete. Feel anything yet?" 

"I feel great." 

"Good." Alcott smiled. "You should be in shape to help guard our shipment next week." 

"I'll be ready." He looked up. Someone was coming. The sound of individual footsteps had become recognizable to him now, and he knew who it was before he opened the door. 

Alcott turned. "Lorent. You're just in time." 

The newcomer was a tall man, broad shouldered, handsome and well-built, with spiky reddish hair that seemed too young for his middle-aged face. He smiled, his eyes moving over Ray. "I see the last treatment went well. How do you feel, Ray?" 

"Great." 

"Good." He turned to Alcott. "We need to talk." 

Alcott nodded. "Ray, would you excuse us? You'd probably like to get some sleep anyway." 

"Sure." Ray went through the door. As he closed it, he could hear Lorent start to talk. He hesitated, reluctant to snoop. But he was curious, and there had always been something that bothered him about Lorent. They didn't yet realize how good his hearing was. He would know if anyone came down the hall. It was safe enough to listen. 

Lorent's voice. "What do the tests show?" 

"He's all right, for now. Should stay that way for two or three weeks at least, before he starts to deteriorate. We'll do better next time." 

"I hope so. Still under control?" 

"Absolutely. Does anything I want." 

"The next shipment is on schedule. I want him at the warehouse on guard duty. Bio-Lab is starting to ask questions, and the Quantum Ranger is likely to show up. If he does, you know what to do." 

"Don't worry. We'll get him." 

"Just be careful. I don't want him dead. Not yet." 

"I know. This should be interesting." 

"Yes. I want to see how well Ray stands up to a Ranger, before you use the weapons. Only the strongest mutants in my time could handle them. And that's the purpose of this mutating treatment. As soon as we can find a way of stabilizing them, we'll have a valuable product." 

"The mutants in your time are stable. Why can't you tell us how to perfect ours?" 

A sigh. "We've been through this. The mutants of my time were created with direct genetic manipulation. Your technology isn't even close to that level. The treatment I gave you is obsolete, hasn't been used in my time for decades. It mutates the genes chemically. The result is enhanced abilities, but genetic instability. The longer after birth the treatment takes place, the faster they die. I'll do what I can, but it's up to TransGenics to find a way to correct it." 

"How do I know you're not holding something back? It's been over twenty years and we haven't seen any return yet from the mutation experiments. In fact, we had a major loss when the sisters escaped. I still think you could do more." 

"I advise you to take what you can get. You're profiting now, from the weapons I'm bringing. You have nothing to complain about. Now, I want to go over those test results in detail." 

Footsteps started for the door. Ray sprinted down the hallway, running noiselessly, ducking around a bend in seconds. Minutes later he was in his room, sinking onto the bed. His head whirled with what he had heard. Most of it he hadn't understood. It bothered him, but even the possibility of confronting Alcott was too overwhelming to think about for long. They must have been talking about something else. Someone else. Not him. 

* * *

_Year: 2202_

"This isn't working, is it?" 

She looked up at him from her plate, realizing she hadn't been paying attention. She glanced around, mentally returning with a jolt to the restaurant where she and Alex were having dinner. "What do you mean?" she asked. 

"This. You and me." 

She sighed. "I'm trying. I'm just distracted tonight. It was a shock, finding out about -- what's happening." 

"Yes," he said softly. "What's happening in the past." His face was calm and serious. "Jen… You're still thinking about him, aren't you?" 

"This involves him -- of course I thought of him." 

"That's not what I mean." He paused to look at her steadily. "I wish you'd make up your mind. Either forget him, or stop seeing me." 

Her eyes slid away from his guiltily. "I'm sorry. I just need time." 

"It was time that pushed us apart in the first place." There was a slight smile on his face. "And Wes had something to do with it," he added softly. 

"We thought you were dead. You_ were_ dead, until history changed." 

"I know." His eyes dropped to the table. 

"He's in the past, Alex. I know that. It's over." 

"It may not be. We -- or some of us -- may have to go back." 

The thought had occurred to her as soon as she had been informed that someone was definitely traveling into the past again, specifically to two hundred years ago. Wes's time. It frightened her. Her life was stable, safe. This could disrupt everything. 

"I hope not," she said, sincerely. 

"You want to see him again, don't you?" 

"No." She kept her face as blank as she could. 

She glanced up, and then lowered her eyes again, avoiding his questioning, skeptical gaze. 

* * *


	3. Moonlight

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Moonlight

* * *

Eric greeted Philips, the Collins' butler, with a brief smile and a nod as he walked in the front door. "Where's Wes?" he asked. 

"In his room. He's expecting you." 

Eric climbed the stairs, taking only a quick glance around at the large foyer, antique furniture, and marble floor. The display of wealth still impressed him. He wondered how long it would be before he didn't even notice. Probably never. 

"Come in." Wes's voice answered as he tapped on the door. Eric opened it and stepped in to see Wes sitting in the armchair in his bedroom, dressed in jeans and a shirt, putting down the book he had obviously been reading. He got up with a smile. 

"Eric. How's it going?" They shook hands. 

"Fine. How are you doing?" 

"Better. The pain's almost gone, as long as I'm careful. I'm starting to get bored." 

"Probably a good sign." 

"I guess. What's happening with the investigation?" Wes sat back down. Eric pulled up another chair for himself. 

"Gunn's contacts have come up with some information, and some of the thieves we captured in the warehouse have talked. Looks like that gang got their weapons from T-Gen. They've been selling them to whoever wants to buy." 

"Is T-Gen the only one selling them?" 

"Looks like it. At least they seem to be the only ones in contact with the future. And we've heard Jonathan Alcott's name mentioned." Alcott had been behind TransGenics' previous attacks on Bio-Lab and on Wes. 

Wes frowned. "Alcott. I guess he's back from South America, then. And in hiding." 

"Yeah, there's still a warrant out for his arrest, for jumping bail on top of kidnapping and assault." 

"You guys have any plans of how to go after them?" 

"We think they're using a warehouse in the area. They must be storing the stuff somewhere. One of their subsidiaries owns three warehouses on the west side and they have offices in town. We're watching all of them. The question is whether we'll be able to spot anything suspicious enough to give us a legal reason to go in." 

"I'll be back at work in a couple of days. When you move in..." 

"Forget it, Wes. You're not in any condition for a fight." 

"I'm fine. And the suit will fix me up, and protect me." 

"You know as well as I do that the suit can't heal an injury. All it can do is make you feel stronger. It won't stop you from re-injuring yourself." He smiled briefly. "I know you want to join in. I'd feel the same way. But we can't take the chance. And it's not like we're fighting mutants and robots. The Guardians and I can handle it." 

"You don't need my help, huh?" They smiled at each other. 

"How's my dad?" Wes asked after a moment. 

"What do you mean? You're living with him." 

Wes shrugged. "I hardly see him, now that I'm not at work." 

Eric looked at him more closely. "What do you do all day, here?" 

"Watch TV. Read. Walk around the garden." 

"Sounds boring as hell." 

Wes grinned. "It is. But Philips won't let me do anything else. I can't wait to get out of here. Get back in shape. Start our workouts again." 

"That won't be for a while." 

"I hear you're teaching Gaby." 

Eric looked up to see Wes watching him with sharp interest. "That's right. And she's helping me get a computer set up. I'm going over to her place tonight to look for one on the Internet." 

Wes smiled. "The two of you together? In her apartment? Alone?" 

"It's not like that. We're just friends." 

"Too bad." 

"I don't intend to jump into anything. Not after the last time." He frowned and looked away. 

Wes didn't pursue it. "Well, you came here for lunch. Let's get downstairs before Philips comes looking for us. I think we're having chicken broth and strained peas." 

_"What?"_

"Kidding. Come on." 

* * *

Ray sat up on his bed. They were coming. He recognized Alcott's footsteps as they stopped in front of his door. He opened it as soon as the knock came. Alcott was there, several men dressed in black behind him. 

"Ready?" 

"Yeah." Ray was dressed like them. He thought he looked pretty cool, the light blue hair and his pale face contrasting with the black outfit. Like a superhero. He smiled as he stepped out in the hallway, and walked next to Alcott. 

In a few minutes they were outside. He looked up. It had been a long time since he had been out in the open air. With his enhanced vision, the night sky and full moon looked beautiful, bright, almost unreal. He was sorry to get into the car that was waiting for them, but the trip didn't take long. Soon they were out again, standing in front of a large warehouse. The building was dark, after the car was shut off there were no lights anywhere, but he could see perfectly by the moon. They stood. 

"What are we waiting for?" he asked. 

"You'll know it when you see it. Be patient." 

* * *

Gaby opened the door and said, "Come on in," with a smile. 

Eric walked into her apartment, looking around with an appraising glance. Not judging the décor, she suspected, but mapping out the territory, looking for exits and good defensive positions. He was very much a soldier at heart. Not that he looked like one tonight, dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt, under the jacket he was taking off. He looked good. 

"How's it going?" he asked. 

"Fine. You want anything?" 

He looked at her with a slight smile. "Not right now." 

"Then let's get started." She led the way into her living room. One corner was dedicated to her computer, a desk and two small side tables covered with electronics. 

"What is all this?" 

"Computer. Monitor. Printer." 

"I know _that_ much. What's the other stuff?" 

"Cable modem. Flash memory reader. Cradle for my PDA. USB hub. Cradle for my other PDA. Scanner. External disk drive. Breakout box for my video capture card." She pointed to each one. 

"Jesus. You actually use all this stuff?" 

"They don't call me the gadget queen for nothing." 

"How do you afford it?" 

"Well, I make a pretty good salary. And I don't spend it on clothes or jewelry. Obviously. And I don't travel much. Had enough of that when I was a kid." 

"What do you mean?" 

"We moved around a lot when I was growing up. Every few years." 

"Army brat?" 

She smiled. "No. Everyone asks that. My parents are con artists, so we had to keep moving." She laughed at his expression. "They're teachers. University level. Getting a better job for either one of them means moving." 

"They sound smart." 

"Yeah. What do your parents do?" 

He looked back at the crowded desk, his smile abruptly gone. "I don't know what they're doing now, if anything." 

She looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?" 

He gave her a carefully blank look. "I don't know where they are." 

"You don't know where your own parents are?" 

His face turned hard, and closed. "That's right. They abandoned me when I was nine. I don't know what happened to them, and I don't give a shit." 

Gaby stared silently, shocked both by the words and the bitter tone they were spoken in. His expression did not invite further questions. 

He took a step away, toward the desk. "What's all this stuff for?" 

After a moment's hesitation she answered. "Let's stick to the basics for now. Later we'll work our way up. Grab a chair." 

They spent some time browsing the Internet, looking for a computer. She answered his questions and gave him advice, the main part of her mind still on what he had just told her. She felt pity for him, curiosity, and a guilty bit of gratification that he had trusted her with something so personal. Then she was distracted as the search quickly turned into an argument. Eric insisted on getting the minimal system that would get the job done. Gaby insisted that he consider something better. 

"Why should I get more than I need? It's a waste of money." 

"Come on, Eric. You can afford it. And you might want to do something more interesting with it, like play games." 

He scowled at her. "I don't play games." 

"Well, you should. All work and no play. You know what that does." 

"You think I'm dull, huh?" 

"Not exactly. But maybe you could use more of a life outside Bio-Lab." 

Surprisingly, he smiled. "Wes says the same thing. I think you're ganging up on me." 

"Let me show you some of my games. What do you think you'd like? Role playing? Strategy? Card games?" 

"Something where I can shoot things." 

"_That_ figures. Men. Always wanting to blow things up." 

"Not always. So, are you going to show me something or not?" 

With a sigh, she picked out a game and started it. Somewhat to her surprise, Eric plunged in, learning the rules quickly and showing considerable enthusiasm. Maybe too much. An hour later, by the time he had massacred the enemy to his satisfaction, she had gotten bored and slightly annoyed. Finally he exited the game with a grin at her. 

"All done slaughtering everything that moves?" she inquired. 

"Yeah. That was fun. You were right." 

"Took you long enough," she complained. 

He smiled unrepentantly. "You started it." 

"Yeah, and I'm starting to be sorry I did. I've created a monster." 

With another smile, he said, "No chance. I wouldn't even buy one. Takes too much time. Besides, I got plenty of fighting in real life when the mutants were here." He got up and moved across the room, stretching. 

She followed. "You've never told me about that. What was it like?" 

He shrugged. "Some of it was good. Some bad. Like anything else." 

"You helped save Silver Hills. That sounds pretty good to me." 

He looked down at the floor. "Believe it or not, sometimes I acted like a jerk back then." 

She smiled and crossed her arms. "What do you mean, 'back then'?" He returned the smile. "What did you do that was so jerky?" 

"I was into power. That's why I took the morpher. I had just started in the Silver Guardians. Just moved to Silver Hills. The Quantum morpher fell in front of me, literally. And I took it. Wes told me I didn't know what I was getting into. Later I found out he was right." 

"From what I hear, you did okay." 

"Depends on who you ask." He started back to the desk. "Come on. It's getting late. Let's buy me a computer." 

* * *

Ray was getting bored when it happened. He felt it before he saw it, felt an electricity in the air, a sudden thrill of excitement. Looking up, he saw a dark whirlpool suddenly blossom high in the sky a few miles over the ocean, clearly visible in the moonlight. 

"What is that?" he asked Alcott. 

"_That_ is what's bringing us those weapons. And what brought us the treatment I used on you. We're seeing tonight's shipment coming in." As they watched, a small flying ship appeared out of the middle of the whirlpool. It circled overhead and then descended. 

Ray watched it. "This whole side of the city can see this." 

"I know." 

"What if the Guardians or the Rangers show up?" 

Alcott smiled. "I'm counting on it. And I'm counting on you." He rested a hand on Ray's shoulder. "This is your chance to show what you can do. Beat the Quantum Ranger for me. Make me proud." 

* * *

They were both peering into the monitor when they heard the beeping. Eric's cell phone was ringing, from the jacket he had tossed on the couch. With a soft curse he jumped up and went to get it. 

"That's why I refuse to have one of those things, neat gizmo or not," Gaby commented before he answered it. 

"Yes," he said into the phone, turning his back to her. She caught the rest of the one-sided conversation. 

"Where? What does it look like?" His voice was sharp. 

"Shit. Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes." He put away the phone with a deep breath and turned back. "Sorry. I have to go. Guardian business." 

"What happened?" 

He hesitated for an instant before telling her. "My men have spotted a timehole on the west side, over the ocean." 

"A timehole?" 

"Yes. That's how the Rangers from the future -- and the mutants -- got here. They open a wormhole through time. It looks like a whirlpool in the sky. Someone's coming through, from the future." He was quickly putting on his jacket. 

Gaby stared for a moment. Through her involvement with Emma and her sisters, she had been told that the other Rangers, and the mutants, had come from the future. And she had been told a little about the current problem with weapons being imported. She was fully aware that whoever was coming through that timehole was unlikely to be friendly, and felt more than a touch of fear. 

Eric turned at the door. "You can probably see it from here. Come on." 

Downstairs they moved out to the sidewalk and looked up. Gaby saw it, a black and violet swirl high in the moonlit sky over the ocean, glints of light and other colors whirling inside it. Under other circumstances it might have been beautiful. 

"I have to get going." She turned to see Eric watching her with a slight smile. 

"Eric..." She moved closer and tugged at his sleeve to stop him. "Be careful. Whoever that is could be dangerous." 

"I'm always careful." He grinned unexpectedly. "Wanna see me morph?" 

"God, yes. I'm a real sucker for superheroes." 

He grinned again, looking down into her face. Without warning, he moved forward and kissed her, just for a second, so quickly she had no time to react. Then he stepped back several feet and stopped. She would always remember that moment, the light touch of his lips still on hers, the sight of him smiling at her, the still, clear night air, only enough breeze to ruffle his hair. The bright, white moonlight streaming down, his face seeming pale against dark hair and clothes. It was one of those moments that seemed perfect and eternal, in and of itself. 

Then he raised his left arm and said "Quantum Power!" into the morpher on his wrist. Light flashed over him, almost blinding in the night, bursting and then rapidly fading. It left him standing in the red and black Quantum Ranger suit, his face now hidden by the helmet, his blaster holstered at his side. While she had seen him morph once before, it had been in a situation that did not allow her to appreciate it. This time was completely different. 

She clasped her hands and cried, "My hero!" The tone was teasing but strangely enough, she meant it. A thrill of excitement went through her, not entirely because of Eric's tight and flattering outfit. She was looking at a man who was about to risk his life to do the right thing, to protect people like her. A hero, by anyone's definition. 

He raised the morpher again and said, "TF Eagle!" A small aircraft appeared above their heads and lowered to the ground next to him. He turned and leaped onto the wing, quickly sliding into the cockpit. His helmeted head turned back to her and he raised his hand in a salute, his voice calling, "See ya!" The cockpit cover closed as the Eagle lifted off, silently turning overhead and swiftly disappearing in the direction of the timehole, which was now gone. 

She stood for a moment, watching him disappear into the darkness. "See ya," she said softly. "Good luck." 

* * *

_Year: 2202_

"Jen!" She turned at the sound of her name, and smiled. Katie was hurrying down the corridor after her. They fell into step, walking on toward Captain Logan's office. 

"How are you, Katie? It's been a while. You look great." 

"Thanks, I feel great. How are you doing?" 

"Fine." She caught Katie giving her an appraising look. She smiled, but knew it wasn't totally convincing. 

"How's it going with Alex?" 

Jen shrugged. "Fine. He's a great guy." 

"But something's wrong." 

"Katie…" 

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." 

"I know." She watched the floor as they walked. "Alex is great. It's me. Things just aren't the same." 

"You spent a year apart. Both of you have changed. Nobody's fault." 

"I guess. But you know that's not the only problem." 

"Maybe it'll still work out." After a pause Katie changed the subject. "Do you think we'll have to go back again?" 

"From what I hear, the disruption in the timestream is growing. Someone from our time is doing something to alter history, and I guess we'll have to try to correct it. But we'll know soon enough. That's what this meeting is about." 

"How do you feel about going?" 

They stopped at Logan's door. "Katie -- I don't know if I can face it." She suddenly blinked back tears. "I can't go through that again. Seeing him -- and then saying goodbye." 

"Jen…" Katie's face was compassionate. 

Jen squared her shoulders and opened the door. "Come on. We don't want to be late." 

* * *


	4. Nightmare

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Nightmare

* * *

It was a beautiful night, but Eric had little time to appreciate it as he flew toward where the timehole had appeared. Soon he was over the area of the three warehouses they knew were used by TransGenics. All seemed quiet and peaceful, until he got closer and spotted several men on the ground, around one of the warehouses. They were dressed in black, like the men TransGenics had once sent to break into Bio-Lab. 

He raised his morpher again. "Morpher. Can you locate the timeship that just arrived?" 

_"Yes,"_ came the familiar voice in his mind. Literal as always. 

With a sigh he asked, "Where is it?" The morpher replied with an image displayed inside his helmet, crosshairs appearing on one of the warehouses, the same one the men were obviously guarding. He circled above it, but he had other business to take care of first. 

A line of Silver Guardian SUV's had appeared on the road leading from the city to the warehouse area. Eric swooped down to meet them, landing nearby when they stopped. He leaped out and ran to the lead car, spotting Steve Miller getting out. 

"Steve. The time ship is in the far warehouse. You'd better leave the cars here and go on foot. I spotted a few guards around the building, so approach with caution." 

"How many?" 

"I saw ten. But most of them are probably inside." 

"Which side do you want us on?" 

Eric paused to think. The morpher had shown him the timeship in the north end of the building. "South and east. But come in whichever way seems safest. I'll attack from the north. Wait until I'm in." 

"Right. Good luck." 

"And to you." Eric quickly moved back to the Eagle and took off again, hovering long enough to watch his men load up their equipment and move out. Then he lifted above the warehouses and flew north, passing the target. The bright moonlight was now his enemy, it would show him clearly if he ran across the open spaces around the warehouse. But he had to get inside before the other Guardians attacked. Silently he looped back and set down on the roof. 

* * *

Inside the warehouse, Ray stared in awe at the ship. It wasn't very big, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen before, a sphere of metal with a cone section on the bottom and portholes around the middle. It had flown inside and landed almost silently. After a few minutes, a door had opened in its side and Lorent had appeared. Now their men were carrying cases out of it and piling them up. Ray knew they contained weapons, like the large blaster Alcott had given him. 

"Impressive, isn't it?" Alcott was back at his side, smiling. 

"What kind of ship is it? How did it come out of that hole in the sky?" 

"You'll know all about it soon enough. Right now, just keep an eye out. I'm expecting company." 

"The Rangers and the Guardians." 

"Right. Remember, if the Red Ranger shows up, he's injured. He should be easy, just leave him to the others. I want you to concentrate on the Quantum Ranger. You should be powerful enough to beat him." 

Ray smiled. "I'll sure try." 

"You can do it. And remember, we want him alive. Now stay alert." Alcott patted his shoulder and walked away to talk in a low voice with Lorent. Even Ray's hearing couldn't make out what they were saying over the noise of the other men moving around. 

Ray looked up. He had heard something else, something from above. The sound of a heavy object landing on the roof, and then footsteps. He moved closer, determined to do his job. 

* * *

Eric found a trapdoor in the roof within a few minutes. Kneeling, he raised it slowly and peered down. There were a few lights on inside, enough for him to see the timeship and the swarm of men around it, unloading boxes which he was sure contained weapons. Nearer his own position, he noticed a man with strange light hair, almost blue-tinted. The man was looking up at him, but Eric was sure he couldn't be clearly seen against the night sky. 

He drew the Defender and braced himself. Then he started to fire, stunning two men before the shouting started. The others scrambled for cover and Eric stood, then leaped through the trapdoor, falling to land on the floor in an impact-breaking roll. Almost instantly he was back on his feet, turning in a circle to pick off as many men as he could. 

They began to shoot back, with both bullets and blasters. He dodged a blast from the blue-haired man and ran for a pile of cartons, leaping over them, then continuing the fight from behind cover. The interior of the warehouse was lit with bursts of energy and the flash of gunfire, the timeship and its cargo flickering in and out of darkness. 

There were shouts and more blasts from the other side of the warehouse. The cavalry had arrived, Miller was here with his troops. Eric saw and heard them start to slowly work their way forward, darting from one protected spot to another, exchanging concentrated fire with their opponents. But the men in black were running out to the piles of cartons, starting to open them. If they got to those weapons, they would have the advantage. Eric moved, leaping on top of the crate in front of him, then jumping from one to another until he had a clear shot at the area around the cartons. With several blasts he drove the enemy away from them. 

Seeing a movement from the corner of his eye, he turned his head to see the same blue-haired man he had noticed before, aiming his blaster at him from a few yards away. He jumped, and had time for a moment of surprise at the speed with which the man corrected his aim. The beam hit him, sending a painful shock though his right shoulder and unbalancing him. He fell from the box he had jumped onto and landed on the floor. 

"Let Ray handle the Ranger! Concentrate fire on the Guardians!" he heard a voice shout. 

The blue-haired man advanced on him, a grim smile on his face. Eric slowly climbed to his feet to face him. The man holstered his weapon and put up his fists in a boxer's stance. 

"Are you crazy?" Eric said. He fired at the man with the Defender. To his complete shock, it had almost no effect. He raised the power and tried again. This time the man dodged with inhuman speed, jumping to the side. 

"Who the hell are you?" Eric called. 

"You can call me Ray." 

"Maybe I should ask, _what_ are you?" 

"I'm your worst nightmare!" 

"Not very original." He took a closer look. "Jesus. You're just a kid." 

"I'm not a kid! I'm bigger than you!" 

"Size isn't the only thing that counts." 

An arrogant smile. "I'm going to beat you." 

"We'll see, _kid_." Eric converted the Defender to sword mode. It had been a while since he had been in real hand-to-hand combat, and if this nutcase wanted it... he was willing. He moved forward cautiously. 

They fought, exchanging a few blows as they felt each other out, surrounded by an audience of men dressed in black, and one man in a suit whom Eric recognized in passing as Jonathan Alcott, smiling at him confidently. He began to see why. The blue-haired man -- Ray -- was stronger and faster than any human. After the first few moments Eric realized he couldn't afford to hold back. He struck at Ray with the Defender, only to see him block it with his arm, apparently unharmed. 

"You're strong," Eric said, falling back a little. "Are you a mutant from the future? Or did they make you here?" 

"What are you talking about? I'm not a mutant. Dr. Alcott just made me stronger." 

"They didn't tell you what they did to you, did they?" 

"They made me _better_!" Ray sprang forward, grabbing Eric's wrist before he could react. They struggled for the Defender, their strength almost equal. But Eric was still feeling the effects of the blaster shot that had hit him. Ray wrenched the Defender from his grasp and tossed it away. He grinned and put up his fists again. 

Eric knew he was in real danger now. He took a quick look in the direction of the Guardians and saw that they had not made much progress. The majority of men in black were still shooting it out with them. Eric felt a pang of guilt, he was supposed to be drawing fire away from his men, not fighting one opponent while his troops were exposed to harm. 

He attacked with a surge of anger, pivoting to kick his adversary. To his satisfaction, the man went down, but he was up again instantly, anger on his own face now. They circled, watching for an opening. Then Ray jumped at him, swinging without any real skill but with overwhelming force. Eric took a few punches before falling back against a shipping crate and kicking him off. 

"Pretty good, huh?" Ray asked with that same smug grin. 

"No. You're strong, and fast, but you're not trained." 

"Doesn't matter, does it? I'm still beating you." 

He was right. Eric pushed off from the crate and attacked, using his own skills, ducking under a punch and hitting Ray in the stomach. Then he dropped and kicked Ray's feet out from under him, and kicked him down again when he tried to get up. But the blue-haired man was too fast, he grabbed Eric's foot and yanked, hurting him and throwing him back onto the floor. 

Another voice shouted from nearby. "This is taking too long! Let's get out of here!" 

"Ray, hold him!" Alcott's voice cried. As Eric got up, Ray lunged and wrapped his arms around his legs. Eric punched at his head. But he saw movement around him and looked up to see the men in black falling back, the Guardians getting closer. Then he saw the man who had shouted first, a tall man with red hair, carefully aiming a blaster at him. He tried to get out of the way, but Ray held him tight. 

The blaster fired, sending pain cascading through him. He staggered, and was hit by another blast. As he collapsed to the floor, he felt the electric-shock sensation that meant his morpher was drained from the strain of protecting him, and he was demorphing back to normal form. Back in his street clothes, he lay gasping, for the moment unable to move. 

More shouting, more men running. Hands grabbed him, and slung him over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Then jolting pain as the man carrying him ran for the warehouse doors. He managed to turn his head far enough to see blue hair. Then they were outside, running for a group of cars. He was flung to the ground, and immediately tried to sit up. A foot swung at his head, bringing blackness with it. 

* * *

"Ray! You could have killed him!" Alcott's voice stopped him. Ray watched as he bent over the Ranger and checked him. "He's still breathing. Get him into the car." Together they heaved the man into the back seat. Ray climbed in with him, Alcott and another man into the front. As they started out, Ray heard a noise and looked out to see the ship sailing out of the warehouse through the doors. It quickly disappeared into the night sky. 

They sped over the road, headed back to their base, the place where Ray had been getting his treatments. He looked back, his enhanced vision and hearing assuring him that they had left pursuit by the Guardians behind. A quick detour over a well-traveled highway would make sure they couldn't be trailed. 

He looked at the man he had defeated, seeing his face in person for the first time. A strong face, square and hard, but handsome, the eyes showing part Asian descent. Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger. Unconscious, lying propped against the side door, he didn't look so tough. As they went around a turn, Ray automatically reached out to steady him, keep him from falling. He wondered how badly he had hurt him. 

Finally they reached their destination. Myers was beginning to stir as Ray carried him into the building and followed Alcott to a small room well away from the living quarters, a room he had never seen before. 

"Put him in that chair." Alcott indicated a wooden chair, reinforced with metal, wires running from it to an instrument panel on the wall behind it. Myers moaned slightly and raised a hand to his head as Ray lowered him and pushed him into place. 

"Hold his arm. The left one." He obeyed, and Alcott stepped closer and removed the device on Myers' wrist. "Strap him in." Ray bent to fasten the leather straps on the chair's arms and legs around Myers' wrists and ankles, and another one around his chest. 

"What are you going to do to him?" 

"The Quantum morpher is locked onto his voice. It will obey only him, unless he releases the lock. We're just going to use a little persuasion, to get him to cooperate." He smiled. 

Ray looked at Myers. He was starting to open his eyes, and struggle against his bonds. He looked down at his left arm, and a moment of panic filled his face. He looked back at Ray, fear in his eyes before he controlled it. Ray stifled the stab of pity he felt and smiled. 

* * *

Eric hid his fear as well as he could and glared at the two men smiling at him coldly. "What do you want with me?" he demanded. But he already knew. 

"Just be patient. You'll find out." 

"You're Dr. Alcott. The one who ran the experiment on the sisters." 

"I'm flattered you remember me. Too bad they weren't here to bail you out this time. How are they?" 

"Just fine. No thanks to you." 

"Did you manage to stabilize their DNA?" 

Eric smiled grimly. "You don't really expect me to tell you." 

"You'll tell us. And you'll tell us where they are." 

"I don't think so." 

Alcott smiled again as the door opened and the redheaded man who had shot Eric stepped in. He looked at Eric as if examining a captive animal, and smiled too, chillingly. 

"I see we're ready to get started," the man said briskly. "Perhaps Ray should get some rest after that fight." 

"I'm not tired," Ray protested. 

"Go on. We don't need you here, and you might not like this," Alcott told him. Eric noticed the flash of resentment that crossed Ray's face before he went out the door. 

Then both men were bending over him, attaching a set of wires to his temples and forehead with small adhesive squares. When they were done they conferred quietly behind him for a few moments. Then the redheaded man walked back to face him again. 

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lorent. As you probably already guessed, I want you to release the voice lock on the Quantum morpher, and my friend here wants some information about the sisters. You're going to give both of us what we want." 

"No way." 

"You'll change your mind." 

"Someone a lot tougher than you tried to get the morpher before. I didn't give in then. And I won't now." 

"Yes, I know. Conwing." 

Eric blinked at him in surprise. "You're from the future, aren't you? You're the one who's been bringing those weapons here." 

"Yes. This machine we've attached you to is from the future also. Let me explain what it does." Lorent smiled. "It works on the same principle as the device we used on Wes Collins a few months ago. You remember what that did." 

Eric glared at him. It had turned good-natured, considerate Wes into a violent lunatic. And it had nearly killed him. "I remember. You bastard." 

"This one is a little different. More sophisticated. It also affects the brain, especially the memory, the sensation of pain, the sense of vision, the vital functions. We will ask you to do certain things. If you resist, this mechanism will punish you by destroying parts of your brain. If the resistance is brief, you might eventually recover. If you refuse to cooperate for any length of time... you'll do what we want, sooner or later. But you'll suffer. If you don't give in now, after only a couple of hours you'll start to lose control of your thoughts, your senses, and your body. You'll end up dying, after feeling your mind go, slowly, bit by bit. It's your choice." 

"The Guardians will find me before that happens." 

"I doubt that. But resist by all means. I haven't had much practice with one of these. I'm looking forward to this." He nodded in Alcott's direction, at the control panel. Eric began to hear a low buzz, almost subliminal. 

Lorent picked up the morpher and held it out, in front of Eric's face. "Release the voice lock." 

"No." It started as a tickle in the back of his mind. 

"Just say it. Then this will all be over." 

"Screw you." The tickle was turning into an ache now. It intensified as Lorent watched him. 

"Starting to hurt now, isn't it?" he asked mildly. "It's only going to get worse. Give us what we want. You'll end up doing it anyway." 

"No! Go to hell!" Eric shouted as the ache grew in his head. He clung to defiance like a lifeline, using it to blot out pain and fear. But he knew it wouldn't work for long. 

* * *

_Year: 2202_

Jen opened the door to her apartment and went in, closing and locking it behind her with a feeling of relief. She leaned against it for a moment. It was happening. Captain Logan had told them. All the warning signs were there. The disturbance in the time stream was growing, starting to look serious. Someone from their time was making significant changes in the past. It involved Eric, so of course Wes would be part of it too. 

Time Force would have to step in again. Someone would have to go back. The obvious choices were Lucas, Trip, and Katie. And herself. Logan had told them a team of two would be sent, as soon as possible. Part of her wanted to leap at the chance…

A big part of her wanted to go, and never come home. But that was not possible. 

_No. Not again._ She closed her eyes. Her life was here, she told herself. The past held nothing for her, nothing that could be permanent, nothing she could hold on to. Here she had a home, a career, maybe Alex if they could work things out. She would tell Logan. _Leave me out._

* * *


	5. Dreams

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Dreams

* * *

Wes woke with a start. He lay quiet for a few moments. Something was wrong. Then he heard it, noises from downstairs. Voices and movement. Silently he got up and opened the door. The lights were on, so it wasn't a burglar. And now he recognized his father's voice and Philips', both with a tense undertone. He started down the stairs, immediately seeing his father at the front door, putting on a coat. 

"Dad? Where are you going? What time is it, anyway?" 

Collins looked up at him, not answering. With a stab of fear Wes noticed his expression, the lines in his face that said something terrible had happened. He hurried down the rest of the stairs. 

"What is it?" 

"Wes. There's been another fight. The Guardians spotted a timeship arriving at one of the TransGenics warehouses." 

"And? What happened?" Wes prompted. 

"Two men dead. Nine more wounded, three seriously. I'm on my way to the hospital." He reached a hand to Wes's shoulder as he simply stared, too shocked to answer. "I'm afraid that's not all. They got Eric." 

Wes found his tongue. "What do you mean, they 'got' him?" 

"They took him. Some of the Guardians saw him get hit by a blaster, and demorphed. They kidnapped him." 

"Oh, God." 

"I have to go, see what I can do at the hospital." 

"I'm going with you." 

"No. You're not in shape for this yet." 

Wes grabbed his arm. "I'm going, Dad. Those are my men who were killed and injured, and my friend who's missing." He let go and stepped back. "If you don't want to wait for me, I'll drive myself." 

Collins looked at him, pride momentarily lightening his face. "I'll wait, son. Hurry." 

* * *

They found controlled chaos at the hospital, doctors and nurses rushing, Guardians milling around trying not to get in the way. They found Miller, sitting slumped in a waiting area, his face numb with shock and grief. He climbed to his feet and saluted when he saw them. 

"It's my fault, sir," he said, his voice shaking. "I saw Commander Myers in trouble and ordered them forward too fast. I'm responsible for this." 

"Don't be ridiculous," Collins said. "You were trying to do your job." 

"But those men are dead. And they still got Eric." 

"It's the people you were fighting who are responsible for this," Wes said firmly. "Not you. And we're going to get them. And find Eric. That's what's important now." 

"Yes, sir." 

"Have you contacted the families?" 

"Just the wounded men. I couldn't face... the rest of them." 

Wes sighed. "I'll do it. It should come from me, anyway. Who are they?" Miller gave him the names. Somehow it was worse, knowing who they were. Wes had known and liked both of them, as he knew all his troops and liked most of them. Reluctantly, he found a phone and did his duty. 

* * *

Ray slipped into the room quietly. His ears had told him it was empty, except for Myers. He was still in the chair, slumped over, unconscious or asleep. Ray moved closer and squatted in front of him, uncertain of whether to try to wake him. 

"Hey," he said softly. Myers twitched but his eyes remained closed. Ray stood up and started out. 

"Mom? Don't go..." The voice was so pitiful that it stopped Ray in his tracks. He turned back. Myers had lifted his head and was blinking at him. "Wes?" he asked, his voice hesitant. 

"It's Ray. I brought you some water." 

"Thanks." Ray held the glass while Myers drank thirstily. 

"What did they do to you?" he asked awkwardly. 

"I have a headache..." Myers blinked again, shook his head slightly, and winced. "Is it dark? I can't see so good." 

"It's... I guess it's kind of dark." 

Myers was looking at him now. "Ray. You're the one who fought me. Almost beat me." 

Ray snorted. "What do you mean, almost? I did beat you." 

"After Lorent shot me. You had blue hair." He squinted, staring. 

"Yeah. When they made me strong, my hair turned blue." 

"You don't even know what they did to you, do you?" 

"I told you, they made me strong." 

"They made you a mutant. A change in hair color is one of the side effects." 

"Doesn't matter what you call it. They still made me strong. They made me like Captain America." 

Myers sneered a little. "Captain America is a good guy. Do you think that's what you are?" 

Ray frowned and looked away, starting to get angry. "I help my friends. That's a good thing to do." 

"Help them steal things and hurt people." 

"They don't hurt people." 

"What do you think they're doing to me?" 

Ray looked at him again. "You don't look hurt." 

"They're hurting me on the inside. Trying to make me give them the morpher... but I won't... can't..." His face contracted in pain. "Help me." 

"I can't." Ray took a step away. "I'm sorry, Mr. Myers." 

He looked up with a half-smile. "As long as you're going to kill me, you might as well call me Eric," he said with a tinge of bitterness. 

Ray stopped and looked at him uncomfortably. "I'm not going to do anything to you." 

"But you'll let your friends kill me." He paused for a moment before going on, his voice low and starting to falter. "Another effect of the mutating treatment is... genetic instability... they didn't tell you that part, did they?" 

"You're lying." He hesitated for a moment. "What does that mean?" 

"It means you'll get sick, sooner or later. You'll die..." 

"No! Dr. Alcott wouldn't do that to me!" 

Eric's voice was shaking now. "He'll kill you, like he's going to kill me... you'll find out." 

"No! You're lying!" Ray retreated to the door. But even as he went out, he heard the words behind him. 

"You'll find out..." 

* * *

She saw him pass, not looking at anyone, his face set and grim. Gaby watched Wes go by, headed for Mr. Collins' office, not seeming even to see her. She opened her own office door and went inside. 

The news was all over Bio-Lab. Two Guardians dead, and Eric Myers missing. A dull silence seemed to hang over the hallways, or perhaps the dullness was in herself. She sat at her desk and stared at her monitor, but the images she saw were of Eric, smiling at her in the street, waving from his flyer, disappearing into the darkness. 

* * *

Wes walked quickly, ignoring the curious and sometimes sympathetic looks he got. No one said hello, no one smiled. All of Bio-Lab knew he'd be in no mood for casual conversation. At the door of his father's office he paused long enough to rub his eyes. They burned. But he didn't feel tired, even after being up most of the night. He knew there was still a limit to his strength, after his injury. But he hadn't quite reached that limit yet. 

With a deep breath he opened the door and went in. Collins, Gunn, and Miller were huddled together around the desk. They all looked up at his entrance. 

"Wes. I still think you should go home and get some rest." His father's face showed concern through the lines of fatigue and worry. 

"Face it, Dad. I won't rest until we find Eric." 

Gunn spoke up. "So far, we've got nothing. They didn't take him to their offices in town. And we don't know of any other locations they might be using. I've gotten in touch with all my contacts. We'll have to see if they come up with anything." 

"He's got friends in the P.D. They're doing what they can, too. Beyond what they'd normally do," Miller said. 

"Do you have any way to trace him? Anything the Rangers left you?" Collins asked. 

Wes grimaced slightly. "No. They didn't leave anything except the morphers and my vectorcycle. No scanners. And my morpher has no tracing abilities. All I can do is try calling him with the morpher. So far there's no answer." 

"So all we can do is wait?" Miller jumped up and paced a few steps away. "I'm going to make a few more calls." He headed for the door without looking back. 

"I'd better get back to my office, too. I'll see if I can think of anything," Gunn said. He waited for Collins to nod and left. Wes stood up and tried to decide what to do next. 

"Wes. Try to take it easy. We'll find him." 

"This is my fault, Dad. I should have been there. Maybe I could have stopped it from happening." 

"You couldn't have been there, with your injuries." 

"I should have stayed under cover, that night. I made a mistake, and now two men are dead, and Eric's suffering for it." Wes blinked back sudden tears. 

"It's not your fault, son." 

Wes paced for a minute, his thoughts in turmoil. "Who knows what they're doing to him?" he burst out. "They're probably trying to get him to release the voice lock on the Quantum morpher." 

Collins sighed. "Probably." 

"What if they make him do it? We'll have a Quantum Ranger who's a criminal. A murderer. I wouldn't be able to beat him in a fight, as the Red Ranger." 

"I hadn't even thought about that. But Eric's a brave man. And stubborn. He won't give in." 

"No. But they'll try to force him." Wes looked down, again fighting for control. 

"Try not to think about it. It won't do any good to drive yourself crazy." 

Wes paced away and then back, too agitated to sit down. He glanced at his father's face, noticing for the first time how suddenly old and worn with worry he looked, and the way he was drooping with dejection. 

"This is hard on you too, isn't it?" he asked, his voice gentle. 

"Yes. I'm very fond of Eric." 

"I used to think you liked him better than me. That you thought he'd make a better son for you." 

Collins looked up at him, surprise and a hint of amusement in his face. "I never thought that. Not that Eric wouldn't be a son any man could be proud of." 

Wes stood for a moment, remembering what Eric had told him about his own father. He sighed. "You should tell him that. If you get the chance." 

"I feel responsible for this too," Collins said softly. 

"What do you mean?" 

"You warned me, back when I started the Silver Guardians. I hired them, and put them in harm's way. Whatever happens to them -- including Eric -- is my responsibility." 

"And what you told me then is still true. This city needs the Guardians. They all knew what they were getting into. And you've done everything you can to protect them. Don't blame yourself." 

Collins looked up, his face resigned. "It's hard not to, when something like this happens." 

Wes straightened. "I'd better get back to my office and see if there's anything more I can do. Will you be all right?" 

"Of course. You go ahead." 

He started for his own office, walking more slowly now, again ignoring the people he passed. Once inside he sat at his desk, staring blankly, realizing he had no idea what to do. His thoughts kept returned to the image of Eric, trapped and alone somewhere... 

* * *

"Just say the words. Release the lock. Then this will all be over." 

"No..." Defiance was gone. All that was left was pain, darkness, and confusion. Eric couldn't even remember what he was refusing to do, or why. All he knew was that he had to keep saying no. 

"Say it!" 

"No. I'm cold... It hurts..." 

Another voice took over. Alcott. Eric felt a moment of pride that he could remember the name. "Let me try. Myers. Where are the sisters?" 

"Don't know." The sisters. It came back to him. Angela's face, her long black hair, her soft voice. Then another woman's face, brown hair and a smile. Gaby, the way she had looked when he impulsively kissed her. 

"Did you stabilize their DNA?" 

"Stabilize... what?" 

Lorent's voice again. "He doesn't understand what you're talking about. Too much of his mind is gone." 

"Myers. Think. Did Bio-Lab give the sisters anything to make them better?" 

"Serum..." 

"What serum?" 

"Ven...Venomark." 

"I don't get it." 

Lorent again. "I do. It's a serum used in my time to cure a kind of poisoning. If he's right, we might be onto something. Now, I have to get him to release that voice lock, before he's gone completely." A pause, then the same voice, closer now. 

"Did you ever give up the morpher?" 

"Yeah... had to help Wes..." 

"Myers. Eric. Think back. Remember..." The voice went on soothingly, and the sounds slowly faded, leaving Eric floating, warm, memories of the past taking him away from the pain, away from a present too terrible to face. He looked around, seeing the home he had grown up in, big again, the way it was when he was small. The shabby rooms, his parents; his mother turning away, his father raising a hand to slap him. 

"Too far back. Remember when you got the morpher." The warehouse now, echoing with darkness, he was standing in the shadows, surrounded by enemies. They came closer, they wanted to kill him. He raised his arm, seeing the morpher on it. Wes was there, trying to take it away. He shouted, and felt the power surge through him, keeping him safe, making him strong. 

"Later. You're working with the other Rangers. They're your friends." It was later... skies dark with smoke. A flying machine, painted to look like a dragon, attacking his city. He had to stop it. 

"Now you have to give up the morpher. You have to help your friends." Later still. He had been hurt, didn't remember how. Wes and Mr. Collins, bending over him. Wes was going... he needed help. Couldn't do it all alone, not without the Q-Rex, and the Defender. Had to help him... 

Eric heard himself say the words. "Deactivate... voice... identification..." The morpher spoke in his head for the last time, asking for confirmation. "Confirm." He felt the loss as his connection with it was broken. His hand moved to give it to Wes, but the strap binding him stopped it. 

The voices again, pulling him back to that small, dark, cold room, and the pain. "Got it! Finally. He held out a long time." 

"What are we going to do with him now?" 

"No need to do anything. He's already dead." 

* * *

Wes woke, again with the feeling that something was going on. His father had finally persuaded him to go home and get some sleep. The increasing pain in the side of his chest had helped him make the decision, although he couldn't be sure if the cause was tension, exhaustion, or exertion. He had been certain that he wouldn't sleep, but had passed out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Peering at the window, he saw that it was still dark. Way too early for anyone to be up, but he heard voices. He got up, went to the door, and opened it. The murmur of voices grew louder. He went back for a robe and padded out to the stairs. He could hear them as he went down. 

A moment later Philips was hurrying toward him, a strangely excited expression on his face. "Mr. Wesley! You have visitors!" 

"Who? Has something happened?" 

Philips smiled. "Just go on in the living room." 

With a look at him, Wes headed into the living room at a trot. Two people were sitting on one of the sofas. They stood up when he entered, grinning at him. They were both young men, both Asian, both wearing white jumpsuit uniforms trimmed with black. One was tall and very handsome, the other had a boyishly attractive face under bright green hair. 

Wes stopped, almost staggering in surprise. Then he rushed forward to hug first one, then the other. 

"Lucas! Trip! What are you doing here?" 

* * *


	6. Darkness

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence.   


* * *

* * *

Darkness

* * *

"What are you doing here?" 

Trip and Lucas lost their smiles, and exchanged an uncomfortable glance. Trip answered Wes. "There's been another disruption in the timestream. Someone from our time has traveled back to yours, and caused a change in history. Our scientists are still trying to trace it, but it looks like something's happened to Eric." 

"Yeah, he's been kidnapped. We've been going crazy trying to find him." 

"And it looks like someone got the Quantum morpher away from him." 

Wes frowned. "I thought that was what they were after." He explained quickly about the shipments of weapons from the future, and the fight in the TransGenics warehouse. "That was over twenty-four hours ago. We've got to find him, fast." 

"We can locate him," Lucas said. "But it may be too late." 

"What do you mean, too late?" 

Lucas looked at Trip, who answered reluctantly. "We brought scanning equipment. We've been looking for the Quantum morpher for almost a day now." 

"A day? Why didn't you contact me?" 

"We were trying to interfere with history as little as possible. When we were here before, there was too much interaction," Lucas said. "We intended to do what we could to save Eric and recover the morpher, and then go home. Now -- we need your help." 

Trip continued. "We can only detect the Quantum morpher when it's being used. We didn't pick up anything until about half an hour ago. Eric released the voice lock. And someone else activated it. Someone else is the Quantum Ranger now." 

Wes turned away and sank onto the sofa, suddenly weak. "Jesus. What did they do to him, to make him release the lock?" 

"We know where he is now. But we have to hurry." 

"Right. I'll get dressed." Wes stood up, and started out of the room. He turned back at the door. "Where are Jen and Katie?" 

Another uncomfortable glance between Trip and Lucas. "They didn't come. Command only wanted to send two people," Lucas said. "It's just us." 

Wes felt sharp disappointment, even through urgency and anxiety, but there was no time to think about it now. "I'll contact the Guardians and be ready in a couple of minutes. Where are we going?" Trip gave him the location. He started back to his room at a run. 

* * *

Ray paused at the door. He didn't know why he was doing this. He didn't owe Eric anything, especially after the lies he told about Dr. Alcott. But Ray felt sorry for him, the way he had been hurt, and tied up. And he felt a nagging sense of responsibility. He went in. 

Eric was slumped in the chair again, looking about the same as before. When Ray bent to look at his face, he saw that his skin was paler, and shiny with sweat. And he was shivering, just a little bit. 

"Hey." He said it a couple more times. When there was no response, he shook Eric's shoulder gently. Finally he blinked and opened his eyes, and raised his head a little, staring blankly, as if he couldn't see. 

"I brought you more water." There was no answer. Ray held the glass to Eric's lips. He drank a little then. Ray knelt to look into his face, wondering what was wrong. "Can you hear me?" He said it again, a little louder. 

"Uh... cold." His voice was so low and indistinct even Ray could hardly hear him. 

"You're cold?" 

"So dark..." 

"It's not dark in here. What's wrong with you?" 

Eric's eyes blinked, still unfocused. His face grimaced in pain. "Head hurts. Make it stop." 

"I can't do that. I don't know how." 

"Please..." 

"Dr. Alcott would get mad." 

"_Hurts_..." It was a whimper now. 

Ray looked around. It seemed obvious that the machine with wires attached to Eric's chair was doing whatever was making his head hurt. He stood up and examined it. Among the dials and switches there was a red button, with a light next to it. It was on. With a quick, guilty look around, Ray pressed the button. The light went out, and the soft humming sound stopped. He smiled. He had done it. He moved back to the chair. 

"Better?" 

Eric only mumbled softly. The mumbling turned into incoherent moaning. Ray backed to the door. He had done what he could. More than he should have done. He considered turning the machine back on, so he wouldn't get into trouble. But maybe they would think they had turned it off by accident. Anyway he just couldn't do it. 

"Sorry," he said quietly, as he left. 

* * *

Trip and Lucas had brought three Timeflyers. Wes smiled as he took off, enjoying the exhilaration of flying in the fast, small aircraft, despite his anxiety. Eric was lucky to have his own personal flyer. Wes frowned at the thought. _Yeah. Lucky._

They reached their destination in minutes, and circled above it. Little showed on the ground, just a few small, unused-looking buildings and an empty parking lot. 

Trip's voice came from his morpher. "Most of it is underground. We can get in though that shack with the big tree behind it." 

"Right. The Guardians should be here soon. They'll see the flyers and know how to get in." 

"I'm reading an alarm system. They'll know we're coming. No way to sneak in." 

"Then let's give them a big knock on the door," Lucas's voice said. 

"You got it." Wes targeted the shack. "Now!" he shouted. Blaster cannon beams shot from their flyers, striking the shack, sending it exploding in flaming fragments. In seconds they were on the ground, running through the debris. Where the structure had been, they saw a stairway leading down. There were lights below. The Red, Blue, and Green Rangers paused for only an instant. 

"Let's do it!" Wes led the way down. At the bottom they saw two guards, aiming guns at them. The bullets were ineffective against their suits, but their blasters left the two men unconscious. They ran on, down a wide corridor. The place was erupting in shouts and men running. Quickly they dropped everyone they saw, leaving a trail of inert bodies. Wes noticed only in passing that his chest was beginning to hurt again. 

"This way!" Trip shouted. "The Quantum morpher's been activated again!" 

"Shit," Wes muttered. "Take out as many of these men as you can. I don't want any more Guardians getting killed." 

"We should separate. Meet at Trip's coordinates," Lucas shouted. 

"Right." Wes knew the display in his helmet would direct him. And they were in communication, they would know if any of them ran into trouble. With a bogus Quantum Ranger somewhere in this place, there was bound to be _big_ trouble. 

Ten minutes later, he had almost run out of men to shoot. Reaching the end of another corridor, he paused for a moment, rubbing his ribs, where a burning pain was starting to grow. He ignored it and turned back, running to the closest intersection and turning down a new hallway. Then he stopped. 

The Quantum Ranger was standing only a few yards away from him, seeming to be waiting. Wes took a step closer, staring. For a moment he felt an overwhelming anger. It was the Quantum Ranger, but it wasn't Eric. Even if this man hadn't been a little taller and thinner, Wes would have known it wasn't the same body in the tight-fitting suit. He aimed his blaster, and took another step. 

"Trip. Lucas. I need you," he murmured. Their acknowledgements came softly. The false Ranger facing him moved, drawing the Quantum Defender from its holster. They both stood still. 

"Who are you?" Wes asked. "Where's Eric Myers?" 

"I suppose I might as well tell you. It won't do you any good," the man said, his voice confident. "My name is Lorent. Your partner is in one of our laboratory rooms." 

"Is he alive?" 

A laugh. "Last time I saw him -- it depends on your definition of 'alive'." 

"Bastard!" Wes took another step forward. He heard a sound behind him and looked back, expecting his teammates. Instead he saw a man -- no more than a boy, really -- with strange, light blue hair and too pale skin. He was big, and looked strong. He took a few steps forward. 

"Ray. Just in time. I'll let you take care of him. Should be no problem," Lorent said. Wes glanced at him, then turned back as the blue-haired man charged. He blocked a few punches, swiftly realizing that the young man was as strong as any of the mutants they had faced. And with that blue hair, and that strange skin... 

"You're another mutant. From the future? Or did Alcott and T-Gen make you?" 

"You sound like the other guy. I'm not a mutant." 

"Yeah? How did you get so strong? And why is your hair blue?" 

The man grinned. "Dr. Alcott made me strong. And it made my hair blue too." 

"You _are_ a mutant." 

"Doesn't matter. I was strong enough to beat the other Ranger." 

"Where is he? What did you do to him?" 

"I didn't do anything. Just kicked him a little." He sounded like a pouting child. Wes felt a surge of fury. 

"If he's hurt, I'll make you sorry for it!" 

"It's not _my_ fault!" Even more like a child. "Lorent made his head hurt. I wanted to help him." Blue-hair stepped back a little. 

"Don't talk to him, Ray! Just fight him!" Lorent shouted from behind Wes. Ray started forward slowly, looking reluctant. 

"Wes!" A quick glance showed him Trip on the other side of the blue-haired man, with Lucas right behind him. They both ran forward, as Ray turned to face them. 

"Get this guy!" Wes shouted. "Watch out, he's strong! I'm going after the other one!" He turned around, just in time to dodge a blast from the Quantum Defender. He fired back, hitting the other Ranger, at full power this time, but doing little damage. He heard rapid blaster shots behind him, and a scream of anger and pain in Ray's voice. 

With a bound, Wes was on his opponent, grabbing his arm and trying to wrench the Defender from his hand. He realized he actually had a chance of doing it, despite the weakness from his injury; Lorent might be in the Ranger suit, but he lacked Eric's speed, strength, and training. And his courage; he managed to knock Wes off for a moment, and immediately turned and ran. Something shoved Wes aside and he saw Ray run after him. 

Wes started after them, a glance back showing him Lucas and Trip only a few steps behind. They ran, chasing their quarry through several turns in the identical corridors. Finally Lorent and Ray darted through a large reinforced door, slamming it behind them. It took the three Rangers several rounds of blaster fire to get through. They ran up a tunnel, lit only by the corridor lights behind them and the moonlight shining faintly in the other end. They got to the surface just in time to see the timeship lift off and vanish in the night sky. 

* * *

The Guardians were in control of the underground complex when they re-entered it from the tunnel. Squads of Wes's troops were rounding up those few of T-Gen's men who were still conscious, and handcuffing and removing those who weren't. Wes, Trip, and Lucas had barely begun to search when Miller came hurrying up, out of breath. 

"Commander Collins! We found him," he announced. 

"Is he all right?" 

Miller's face contracted. He dropped his eyes to the floor. "No. You'd better hurry." 

Wes raised his morpher and tapped it, demorphing. "Take me there," he said quietly. Trip and Lucas demorphed and followed, silently, as they ran, Miller leading the way through the hallways. Wes found time to wonder how he didn't get lost. They stopped at the open door to a small room, apparently some kind of laboratory. Wes stepped inside to see Eric, sitting in a chair, several Guardians bent over him. They had unfastened the straps that had obviously been used to restrain him, and were trying to get a response from him. Wires dangled from the top of the chair's backrest. Eric appeared to be unconscious, his face tense and strained. He was shivering slightly. 

Then Wes heard it, a low moan, punctuated by a gasp. The sound was chilling, the kind of sound that should never come from a living being. He stepped forward and knelt in front of his friend, grasping his arms. 

"Eric? Can you hear me?" Eric's eyelids fluttered. He raised his head slightly. Wes saw four small, reddened marks on his temples and forehead. 

"Cold..." The word was soft and weak, completely unlike Eric's usual confident tones. 

Wes turned to Miller. "We have to get him to the hospital." 

"Ambulance is on the way. Let's get him out of here." 

They lifted him, Wes, Lucas, and Trip helping to carry the limp body back to the tunnel they had been through before. When they reached the surface, they took him to the cluster of Guardian SUV's parked around the remains of the shack they had blown up. They laid him down in the pool of brightness from the car headlights, a circle of watching men casting their shadows over them. 

Wes sat to support Eric's head and shoulders on his lap. He bent his head, watching, willing his friend to just open his eyes, look up, and say, _"What the hell are you doing?"_ But he knew it wouldn't happen. He looked at Trip and Lucas, kneeling on Eric's other side. Trip had one of his instruments out, and was scanning with it. 

"Trip. Can't you do something? Use your medical equipment?" 

Trip's face showed his despair. "I'm sorry. Even if we had the medical unit here, it wouldn't do any good. There's too much damage to his brain." 

"His brain... Oh, my God." Wes looked down. He saw Eric's eyelids flutter again, and then saw his eyes open. They stared blankly, then moved rapidly. He gasped deeply and tensed, his face frightened. 

"Eric. Eric, can you hear me?" 

The eyes slowed, and almost focused on him. The lips moved. The voice was hoarse and so low Wes had to strain to hear it. "Wes?" 

"Yes. It's me, Eric. You're safe now." 

A hand reached up, uncertainly. Wes took it and squeezed gently, feeling an answering pressure. 

"Can't see." 

"It's okay, Eric. Everything will be all right." 

"Wes... sorry." 

"For what?" 

"I... did it..." 

"What did you do?" 

"Morpher... morpher..." His voice quivered. There were tears in those blank dark eyes. 

"I know. It wasn't your fault. Don't worry, it'll be all right." 

"Don't go..." 

"I won't." 

Eric blinked several times. His breathing deepened into sighs and he shivered again. He spoke one more time, not much more than a whisper, so soft Wes had to bend over him to hear. 

"Wes. Brother..." The deep breaths quieted and stilled. The shivering faded. 

"Eric... _No_..." Wes bent lower, unable to see now himself, through a blur of tears. Eric's eyes were fixed and staring. His hand was limp. There were no more signs of breathing or movement. He had simply _stopped_. 

Wes heard the sound of sirens, then saw the Guardians around them move aside as the paramedics ran in. They took over, moving Wes away, a respirator ready while they opened Eric's jacket and cut away his shirt to attach their equipment. Wes watched them work numbly, wincing when Eric's body jerked in a travesty of life as they shocked his heart. He knew they were just going through the motions. He knew instinctively that Eric was gone. 

"I'm sorry, Wes." Lucas was next to him on one side, Trip on the other with tears in his own eyes, their comforting hands on his shoulders. He saw Miller, several other Guardians around him, all with disbelief, shock, and grief on their faces. They all watched, waiting for the inevitable. 

Wes turned away, his self-control crumbling, when one of the paramedics finally sat back, nodded to the others, and said, "Time of death..." 

* * *


	7. Ashes

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

Yikes, what a response to the last chapter! As Rach said, I could practically hear her screaming from across the Atlantic.  
There are twelve chapters in this story, and I will never post a story here without finishing it. Still plenty of time for more plot twists and turns.  
We may be seeing Eric again - or maybe not - *evil laughter* 

* * *

* * *

Ashes

* * *

It was the third funeral Wes had attended in three days, and the hardest to bear. Eric's funeral. Gloomily he thought he should be grateful there were no more, all of the wounded Guardians were recovering. But that didn't make this day any easier. 

He saw most of the same people he had seen at the services for the other two fallen Silver Guardians. Steve Miller, his face filled with misery at the loss of three men he had worked with closely, all of whose deaths he still felt responsible for. Daryl Gunn, looking grim and determined. Michael Zaskin, obviously very upset. Wes remembered he had been Eric's first real friend at Bio-Lab. Eric's neighbors, a couple with a little girl, looking out of place among the Bio-Lab mourners. 

His father stood beside him, fatigue and grief deepening the lines in his face. He had taken Eric's death as hard as Wes himself had. Gaby was nearby, her eyes and nose red. Emma had come back for the occasion, and stood next to her, looking almost as despondent. Eric's troops stood respectfully in a group to the side, their faces stiff and grim behind the sunglasses that were almost part of their uniforms. And Trip and Lucas were nearby, uncomfortable in their black suits, Trip with his ever-present scanner in his hand. 

Wes closed his eyes for a moment, remembering those terrible moments after Eric had died. He had confronted Trip and Lucas, begged them to do something, to take him back before it happened. Trip had explained it to him, helpless misery in his face. _"It just doesn't work that way, Wes... We can't go back such a short time. We can't even go back from our time. Not under normal circumstances..."_ He had gone on, something about corresponding times and fixed time distances, exceptions only under extreme conditions of disruption to the timestream. All Wes had really understood was that they couldn't do it. 

Blinking away the memory, he looked up. The weather was perfect, the sky beautiful, lacy clouds floating in clear blue. The sun was warm. He remembered Eric saying he was cold, and shivered. Funerals should never be held on nice days. It should always be raining, and dark, and depressing. 

Eric had no family and had left no will, so it had been up to Wes and his father to make the arrangements. Wes had decided on a simple ceremony, outdoors, hoping to banish the memory of that small, airless room where Eric had lost his life. A surprising number of people had shown up to honor a man who had always felt he had no friends. They had already listened to brief eulogies from Collins, Miller, and Wes himself. 

He hardly remembered what he had said. He suspected that Eric himself would not have recognized the man they were talking about. They had all spoken, truthfully, of Eric's loyalty, his courage, his good heart, and left out the less pleasant aspects of his personality, some of the things that had made him himself. Wes smiled a little. _Eric Myers was a mean, selfish, rude, arrogant son of a bitch._ That's how he would have described him two years ago. But not anymore. 

Eric had changed, in the time since he had moved to Silver Hills and joined the Guardians. Or maybe, Wes thought, he had simply come to feel more comfortable, and let his true nature come through. He had still been rude, sometimes, and arrogant, and moody. His temper had still been a problem on occasion. But all those things were outweighed by the good in him. And even though there were times he had been mean and selfish, when it really counted he had always done the right thing. 

"Wes? How are you holding up?" He looked down into Emma's face, her usual bright smile dimmed today, her warm brown eyes and olive skin contrasting with golden hair, now cut short. 

"I'm okay. How are you? I haven't had a chance to talk to you yet." 

"I'm fine. We all are. Settled in now." 

"I'm a little surprised you came today. T-Gen might still be watching." 

"Screw them." She smiled as he raised an eyebrow. "We've decided to come forward. We're tired of hiding from them. Especially now, after what they've done. We want to help you go after them. And maybe that's the only way to really be free of them." 

Wes smiled. "That's good news. We need all the help we can get." 

"I'm sorry about Eric. I liked him." 

"I know. Thanks." 

With a press of his hand, she moved away. Wes watched Gaby for a few moments, and then walked over to her. She looked up at him, her face closed and tight. 

"Gaby. Are you okay?" 

"I should ask _you_ that, shouldn't I?" 

"You look upset." 

"How _should_ I look?" She took a breath. "Sorry. I'm just… mad as hell." 

"I can understand that." 

"This shouldn't have happened. It isn't fair. It isn't _right_." When Wes didn't answer she went on, her voice shaking a little. "You've said it yourself, he had a hard life. He never got a break, except for being a Ranger." 

"And he had to fight for that, too. Nothing came easy for Eric." 

"He should have had a chance to be happy. But then this happened. And to die like _that_… He didn't deserve it." She looked at him with a hint of guilt in her face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say that to you. Probably making you feel worse." 

"It's okay. I've thought the same things." But it did make him feel worse. 

"He was at my apartment, that night. We went out in the street to see the timehole. He morphed, and took off... It was so exciting... And now..." She looked away, at the mass of people. "I think if anyone else tells me, 'He's in a better place,' I'm gonna slug them." 

Wes smiled, a little. "A fist fight, in the middle of his funeral. Eric would probably like that." 

She smiled back at him. "Yeah, maybe. Then he'd break it up. Doing his job." 

"They mean well." 

"I know, I know. But I don't _want_ him in a better place. I want him here." She looked up at Collins as he walked over to join them. 

"Gaby," he said with a nod. "Wes, how are you doing?" 

"Fine, Dad." 

"I'd better get back to Emma," Gaby said. "See you later, Wes. Mr. Collins." With an attempt at a smile she walked away. 

"Are you okay, Dad?" 

"I'm fine. Glad this is almost over." 

Wes's voice was harsh. "It's not over yet. Alcott, Lorent, and that mutant, Ray, are still out there somewhere. They still have the Quantum morpher. And we have to get them." 

"Trip and Lucas still haven't found anything?" 

"No. They can't detect the morpher unless it's activated. And they haven't detected a timehole, or the timeship engines." 

"The police are going ahead with their murder investigation." 

"I know," Wes said with a sigh. "Some of the men we captured have confessed. We've got them for the murders of the two other Guardians, at least. And the police know Alcott and Lorent killed Eric. But they can't determine an exact cause of death. Nothing they can use in court." 

"Eric went into that place alive, and he came out dead. It should still be enough to convict Alcott." 

"I guess so. I hope so. And Lucas and Trip will take Lorent back to stand trial in the future. When we get them." _Then this will really be over,_ Wes thought. Over, except for the endless round of grief, anxiety, and if-only's he had been on for the last week. He suspected that would never entirely leave him. 

Wes looked up to see Trip and Lucas approaching quickly, their faces expressing urgency. Something had happened. He straightened, eager for the opportunity to take action. 

"Wes," Lucas said. "We need to go, right now. Trip's detected the morpher." 

"Good. Wish us luck, Dad," Wes said, as he exchanged a grim glance with his father. 

Collins reached out to touch his arm. "Please -- be careful, son." He smiled a little, shakily. "I don't want to lose you, too." 

"I will, Dad. Don't worry." 

"I can't help worrying. Good luck. Go get them." 

* * *

Wes took a deep breath as they took off on their Timeflyers again. All the enjoyment he normally felt in going into action, all the exhilaration of morphing, were gone now, leaving only a grim determination to do what he had to do. At least the pain in his chest was only a memory. It had gotten worse after their fight in the T-Gen complex, but Trip had used the medical unit in their timeship to repair his injuries. He was back at full fighting strength. And he'd need it. 

"Down there," Trip's voice came over his morpher's communicator. Looking down, he spotted the timeship, its spherical metallic shape unmistakable, in the woods they were flying over. It was on the ground, partially hidden by trees, near a small house or cabin. They headed down. 

There was movement below. As they flew over the cabin, they saw Lorent, morphed into the Quantum Ranger, standing behind it, looking up at them. The TF Eagle was next to him. As they flew downwards, he leaped into the aircraft and took off. 

"He's mine!" Wes shouted. "You get the other two!" He looped to pursue the Eagle, which was headed up and away, flying fast. He wondered if the Timeflyer could keep up, but it did, barely. Finally, Lorent seemed to give up on getting away. The Eagle swept into a turn, and they circled. 

Lorent's voice came from Wes's communicator. "You might as well give up, Red Ranger. You know you can't beat the Quantum Ranger." 

"You're not Eric. Quantum Ranger or not, I can beat _you_!" He opened fire, targeting the Eagle. It fired back. Wes saw again the evidence of Lorent's lack of skill and training. His aim was bad, and he wasn't dodging Wes's shots. They looped around each other several times, exchanging fire, before the Eagle broke off and fled back toward the cabin. 

"What's the matter, Lorent?" Wes shouted. "Don't want to fight your own battles? Don't like an enemy who's not tied up?" There was no answer. In moments the Eagle was back where they had started from, swooping to a landing near the timeship. He followed. 

The Blue and Green Rangers were on the ground, facing Alcott, who was armed with a blaster, and the blue-haired man, Ray. They seemed to be at a standstill, Alcott blasting at them from the cabin doorway while Ray attacked Lucas, who was holding him off for the moment. 

Wes's target was Lorent. He jumped from the flyer to chase him as he ran to the timeship. Lorent turned at the ship's door, pulled the Defender, and fired at Wes, who was taken by surprise and hit. He fell to his knees. 

"Alcott! Ray!" Lorent shouted. Wes turned to see them come running, Trip and Lucas behind them. He pulled his own blaster and shot Alcott as he ran by. Ray paused long enough to scoop him up and continued running to the ship. Wes and Lucas fired at him, one shot hitting him. He staggered but didn't stop. 

Wes was back on his feet and started for them, only to be hit by the Defender again. His morpher was getting dangerously low on power. He saw Trip and Lucas pass him, but the Defender drove them back. The timeship door closed. They ran to it, but there was no way to open it, and they were forced to fall back as the engines began to power up. 

"Look!" Trip shouted. He pointed up. A narrow beam was spearing into the sky from the timeship, generating the familiar black and violet whirlpool of a timehole. It opened in the sky, like a huge and unnatural flower. In seconds the ship lifted off and swiftly flew upwards, disappearing into the tunnel. 

"They've gone back to our time," Lucas said, unnecessarily. 

"And we're going to follow them," Wes said softly. 

Both Trip and Lucas turned to face him. Lucas spoke. "This is our job, Wes. We'll get them." 

"I'm coming with you." 

"Wes," Trip protested. "You can't come. You belong in your own time. We can't risk it." 

"They killed my friend. And my men. You need my help. If we don't stop them, who knows what they'll do, to change history? You could end up worse off than when Ransik screwed up the timestream." 

Lucas sighed and looked away, then back, obviously reaching a decision. "Look. Our history may already be changed. None of this was supposed to happen. Eric shouldn't have died, not at this time. If we take you to our time, if we can't stop Lorent and Alcott and get that morpher back, we may not be able to bring you home. Ever." 

"That just means it's even more important to stop them now, before they do more damage. And I can help you." 

Lucas and Trip looked at each other. "He's right. Alcott and Ray are from this time. We could use his help," Trip said. 

"Okay. Captain Logan will probably kill me. But I guess you're right." 

* * *

Ray stared at the back of Alcott's and Lorent's heads. He hadn't liked this fight, with two Rangers ganging up on him. He was beginning to realize he wasn't as strong as he thought, not stronger than anyone. In fact he felt sick sometimes lately. Eric had said he would get sick and die. And that was something else he didn't like. Eric was dead, he knew that from overhearing what Dr. Alcott and Lorent said to each other. They had killed him, with that machine. It hurt to remember the way he had looked, and the way he had sounded, that last time. 

And he didn't like the way Dr. Alcott and Lorent had been acting. They whispered, and stopped talking when he came into the same room. They didn't tell him anything. Dr. Alcott just smiled and told him everything was fine, but Ray knew he was lying. They left him out of everything. 

They still needed him when the fight came. Then Dr. Alcott expected _him_ to do all the fighting, while Lorent ran away, even though he was the Quantum Ranger now. He had done okay, even against two Rangers, while Alcott just hid in the cabin and used his blaster. He had even saved Alcott, when they all ran into the ship. 

And now, they were flying, and they had gone into some strange _thing_ like a black whirlpool with lightening inside, and Ray was scared, and neither of them would talk to him. But he would _make_ them talk, if he had to. 

"I want to know what's happening! Right now!" 

Alcott was still only half-conscious. Lorent answered him, although he sounded like he wasn't even paying attention. "Everything's fine, Ray. Just relax." 

"Tell me what's happening!" 

"You wouldn't understand." 

"Explain it. I've gotten smarter, you know." 

Lorent glanced back at him, his face holding surprise and displeasure. "Behave yourself. We don't have time for you now." 

A few weeks ago Ray would have just shut up. But not now. "I want to know what's going on. Now." Something in his voice made Lorent look again, this time with uneasiness. 

"All right. We're in a timehole. This is a timeship. We're traveling into the future. Now please be quiet, I need to concentrate so we won't crash and all get killed." 

Ray was quiet, thinking about it for a few moments. "The future. Eric asked me if I was a mutant from the future. So did that other Red Ranger." 

"Yes. I got the treatment that made you strong from the future." 

Ray started to speak again, then stopped as the view through the portholes suddenly and dramatically changed. They were out of the dark tunnel, and flying high in a clear blue sky. Below he could see a vast city, unfamiliar buildings, impossibly tall towers, other flying ships far enough away to look tiny. He turned his attention back to Lorent. 

"Did you make me a mutant?" 

He turned again to look at Ray. "The treatment changed your DNA." 

"Am I going to get sick and die now?" 

Lorent blinked, a flash of something like fear crossing his face and disappearing. "Of course not, Ray. Dr. Alcott and I wouldn't do something like that to you." 

Ray watched him turn back to the controls. The words had been reassuring. But he knew Lorent was lying. 

* * *

They paused, as Wes looked at the timeship waiting for them on the beach. He felt suddenly nervous, despite the fact that he had taken a trip through time once before. That had been done on impulse; he hadn't had any idea what he was getting into. And he had been with Eric, he remembered sadly, even though they had been far from friendly then. This time, going into the future instead of the past, it was different somehow. 

"Sure you don't want to say goodbye to your father first?" Lucas asked. 

"He'd just try to talk me out of it." But he felt guilt. If something happened, and he never came back, he would seem to have just disappeared. His father would never know what had happened to him unless Time Force sent someone to tell him. But there was no time now to do anything about it. 

"Last chance. You can still change your mind." 

"No. I'm going." 

"All right. Demorph." Lucas tapped a button on his morpher and changed back to normal, still in his funeral suit. Trip and Wes did the same. They walked closer to the ship. It was very similar to the timeship Lorent had used, but a little smaller. Lucas held his morpher up in front of the door, which slid open silently. Wes smiled; it still reminded him of Star Trek. They went inside. Trip secured the medical unit they had left out after treating Wes while Lucas checked the controls. When they finished, both Trip and Lucas faced Wes, looking uncomfortable. 

"Before we go, there's something you have to know," Lucas said. He looked at Trip, who looked back, both their faces troubled. 

"What is it?" Wes asked. A thought struck him, sending a shock of fear through him. "It's Jen, isn't it? Has something happened to her?" He looked from one to the other of his friends. "Tell me!" 

"Wes," Trip finally said. "Jen could have come on this mission, instead of one of us. She didn't want to. She didn't want to see you again. And she's been going out with Alex again. We thought we should warn you." 

* * *


	8. Silver City

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Alex, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Logan, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Silver City

* * *

Wes hardly noticed as they took off, the ship swiftly flying toward the timehole it had opened for their trip to the future. He had wanted to go along to help his friends, and to stop Alcott and Lorent, just as he had said. But he had also wanted to see Jen again, to be with her. And now... how could she not want to see him? How could she be back with Alex? 

Jealousy burned through him, as strong as it had been the time he had seen Jen and Alex together, a year and a half ago. Alex had been Jen's fiancé before Wes had met her. Ransik had killed him, before he stole a timeship and came to 2001, to change history and prevent Time Force from existing, but the multiple changes to the timestream had brought him back. He had come to 2001 to join them, briefly, an Alex from an altered future in which there was a long and bitter war between mutants and humans. 

They had prevented that future, in the end, and changed things back to the original timeline. Almost. In the future Jen, Trip, Lucas, and Katie had returned to, Alex had survived Ransik's attack. 

Jen had loved Wes when she left, but that had been over a year ago. There was no way they could have stayed together, no way they could be together now. He should have expected her to go back to Alex, the man she had loved first. But somehow he had thought she would be waiting for him. 

The ship lurched, bringing his attention back. They were in the timehole, he could see a swirl of color and motion outside the portholes, and feel the sensation of unseen forces ripping at him. It was familiar, from his previous trip through a timehole. But the ship should be shielding them. He felt another sharp lurch, and a strong vibration. 

"Is it supposed to be this rough?" he shouted. 

"No!" Trip yelled back. "It's the disruption in the timestream. Hang on!" 

"We'll make it," Lucas said calmly. 

After a few more minutes of jarring flight which left Wes with a pounding head and queasy stomach, he was proven right, as they flew out of the timehole and into a wide blue sky. He craned his neck to look down, and saw a city, spread out over the land for what seemed like an impossible distance. He saw towers, reaching up higher and more gracefully than any he'd ever seen before, and huge buildings shimmering with color in the sun. 

"Silver City," Lucas announced. "Used to be Silver Hills. Like it?" 

"It's beautiful. So _big_." 

"By today's standards, it's not particularly big." 

"You're kidding." 

They flew downwards, swooping over the buildings, now close enough that Wes could see other flying ships, ranging from the size of cars to huge things like metal blimps. 

"Are those flying cars?" he asked. 

"The smaller ones are," Trip answered. 

"So everybody flies anywhere they want to go?" 

"No. That's just not practical, the sky would be too crowded, and flying is expensive. Most people still travel on the ground." 

He watched as they approached a complex of buildings, a large round dome surrounded by a circle of big buildings, with many smaller buildings scattered among them. Lucas flew them down, toward one of the bigger buildings. 

"That's Time Force headquarters. We'll be landing there, in just a minute." 

Wes saw a field behind the building as they flew over it, with other timeships of various sizes parked. They stopped in midair above it, and lowered slowly to the ground. He saw several people appear and walk toward them, wearing the black and white Time Force uniform. 

Lucas and Trip got out of their chairs. Wes stood up, then leaned against his chair as he felt a momentary wave of dizziness. They all made their way to the door, where Wes steadied himself with a hand on the wall. The door opened. 

"Welcome back, sir," an efficient-looking young woman said to Lucas. The other people helped them out of the ship, leading them across the field to a large doorway into the building, large enough for a moderate-sized ship to fly through. They were escorted down a hallway and into a room furnished with chairs and couches, and with a set of large windows in one wall, overlooking the main part of the city. 

Wes sank into a chair gratefully and closed his eyes. Lucas and Trip sat for a few moments and then got up to look out of the window. Curious, Wes joined them. He looked out over a view of the city, spread out below, sunlight slanting across the buildings, the taller ones seeming to reach almost into the clouds. Like all big cities, it seemed almost like a living creature, complete with a personality. This one seemed to vibrate with vigor and power. 

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lucas said softly. "I grew up here. Always loved it." 

"Nothing seems to have changed," Trip said. "But it takes awhile for the disruption to spread." 

Wes asked, "If we can stop them here -- now -- and keep them from going back to 2003, we can prevent any change, right?" 

"No," Lucas said with a sigh. "Eric's death has already changed things. How much, I don't know." 

"Eric's death? Is he that important?" 

"He's important. He held the Silver Guardians together after Ransik's and Frax's attacks. I don't know how much of what he was supposed to do was already done. But I know he wasn't supposed to die in 2003." 

They turned at the sound of footsteps and watched a man enter the room, followed by another man and two women. They all stopped at the other side of the room. The first man was tall, probably the tallest man Wes had ever seen in person. The other had a very familiar face, Wes's own face, with hair and eyes a few shades darker. One of the women was very tall and beautiful, with brown skin and gray eyes. But the second woman, pretty, with shoulder length brown hair and a resolute face, was the only one he really saw. 

"Jen," he said softly, stepping forward. 

* * *

They gave Wes a room, near where Trip, Lucas, and Katie were quartered. Katie cheerfully took the job of guide, taking him there and then offering to show him around. As they closed his door she gave him a sympathetic look and a smile. He smiled back, remembering the hug she had greeted him with. She had learned some restraint; she had actually managed not to crush his newly healed ribs with her mutant strength, although it had still squeezed the breath out of him. 

"This'll give us a chance to catch up," she said. 

Katie's warmth could make any situation seem better, even his. "Yeah, it will. How have you been doing?" he asked. 

"Great. We're sort of heroes now, you know. We all got promotions. And we've all gotten offers, to tell our story. None of us has done it, so far." She looked at him with another smile. "You're a hero, too." 

"Really?" 

"Haven't you noticed people staring at you?" 

"Well, yeah. I thought it was my clothes." 

Katie laughed. "No, they want to see the famous Wes Collins. Eric's famous too." Her smile faded and she added, "Sorry, I shouldn't have reminded you." 

"It's okay." It occurred to him that to the people here -- now -- both he and Eric were long dead. Eric had just gone a little sooner. 

Katie watched him with concern in her face. "This must be hard on you. Seeing Jen again, on top of Eric's death." 

"Yeah, hard." 

She smiled again. "Well, do you want the grand tour or not?" 

"Sure." 

Wes absorbed little of what she showed him. They walked into a vast room full of equipment, staffed by people in white jumpsuits. Katie tried to explain, but all he understood was that this was where they monitored the timestream, and tried to determine what damage had been done by changes in the past. The place looked very busy. 

Next they entered a huge building where a new timeship was being built. Wes stared at the unfamiliar machinery, only half listening to Katie's explanations. They walked out through a ship-sized doorway into the open air, and looked out over a field of parked timeships. Wes realized this was where they had landed. 

"Come on, I'll show you something more interesting," Katie said. She led him toward the center of the complex. After a few minutes they were in the large domed building he had seen from the sky. 

"This is the Time Force main headquarters." They walked through what seemed like endless corridors, passing offices and people, many of whom stared at Wes, leaving him uncomfortably self-conscious. Finally they found themselves in a huge circular room, an empty floor in the center, a high bench at the edge of the clear space, and circles of seats all around, reaching to the round wall. 

"The courtroom," Katie said. "This is where Ransik was tried. Before he escaped to your time, and after we brought him back." 

He stared at the central area, imagining Ransik standing there, restrained somehow, perhaps in chains. A harsh light shining on him like a spotlight. Judges on the bench. People in the seats, watching, staring, their faces surrounding him. 

"What happened to him? And Nadira?" 

"He's in prison. He seems to really have reformed. In fact, he's part of a program to reach out to mutant soldiers, help them adjust to society. Nadira is on probation, working in a child care center." 

"Nadira, working with children?" 

"You'd be surprised. She's a natural. Of course she's just a child herself, at heart." 

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." 

She grinned suddenly. "And you'll really never believe this part. Lucas is going out with her." 

He laughed in astonishment. "Nadira and Lucas? But he's so... serious." 

"I guess opposites attract." She turned back to the entrance. "I'd better get you back to your room. You probably want a few minutes to yourself before we meet with Captain Logan." 

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks for the tour." He cast a glance back as they left the room. 

* * *

"Come in." Wes turned at the sound of a tap on the door of the room they had given him, expecting Katie again, or Trip or Lucas. When Jen stepped in, alone, he looked at her for a long moment, and then turned away, afraid of what his face was showing. 

They had greeted each other, if you could call it that, in the time travel recovery room. Jen had hugged him, a quick, almost impersonal embrace, the way one friend would hug another, or the way a woman greets a former love she's no longer interested in. Then she had turned away, and Alex had put an arm around her in comfort, or perhaps possessiveness. 

"Wes, I'm sorry about Eric. I know you cared about him," she began. 

"Yeah. Thanks." 

"We're going to have to work together on this mission... I thought we should talk." 

He looked at her. "Is it true, you didn't want to come with Lucas and Trip?" 

"It's true. I didn't want to see you again. I didn't want to... start anything again." 

"_Why?_" 

She looked down, pain on her face. "Because -- there's nothing between us. It's over. It should never have started. I hope you understand." She said it softly, but it went through him like a knife. 

"Of course. I'm in the past now. Literally." 

"I thought you would have found someone else by now..." 

"I guess _you_ have. You're back with Alex, aren't you?" 

She shrugged slightly. "We're dating again, but it isn't the same. I don't know if it'll ever get serious again." 

"Why not? He's here. Available. And I'm not." 

"Maybe I shouldn't have come here..." 

"I thought you _loved_ me." He heard the anger and pain in his own voice and struggled for control. 

"I did. But -- we can't be together. We both have to move on." 

"So I guess you've forgotten all about me." 

"I haven't forgotten. I just don't want to make things worse, for either one of us." 

"How is this not making things worse?" Anger was taking over, his words coming without thought. 

"Wes, it's been more than a year. You should have gotten over it by now." There was just a hint of anger -- and a note of desperation -- in her voice. 

"I didn't know there was a time limit." 

"Wes…" She took a breath, obviously reaching for control. "There's no way we can ever stay together. It would be too dangerous for either of us to leave our own time. It's hopeless, and I don't believe in wasting my life on something hopeless." 

"So now I'm a waste of time." 

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. Don't try to turn this into some kind of betrayal." 

"That's what it is, isn't it?" On some level Wes knew he was being irrational, but he didn't care. 

Suddenly she grabbed his arm. "Look, Wes. I loved you, and I still care about you, even though you're acting like an idiot right now. But we can't be together. We can _never_ get married, or live together, or have children, or get old together. And I want _all_ of those things for myself." Her voice began to tremble. "Someday I intend to have them, whether it's with Alex or someone else. Don't try to make me feel guilty!" 

"Why not? You should feel guilty!" 

"I've gone on with my life! You should be doing the same thing!" She glared at him for a moment, and then turned and walked to the door. For a moment she stopped in the doorway, looking back at him, the anger in her face giving way to tears. Then she was gone, slamming the door behind her. 

* * *

"Lucas shouldn't have brought you. But as long as you're here, we can use you." 

Wes sat in Captain Logan's bright, comfortable office, trying to pay attention. But he was too intensely aware of Jen, sitting in a chair as far away from him as she could get, with Alex by her side. He looked, noticing her reddened eyes, and quickly turned his eyes away as Alex looked back. There was something challenging about that glance. It occurred to him that Alex had good reason to be jealous, too. 

Alex. His twin. Or doppelganger. When they had warily shaken hands, Wes had had to remind himself that this wasn't the same Alex he had met before, not the one he owed gratitude to, for saving his father's life. Not the grim, sad man who had caused Jen so much confusion. This was the original Alex, the one Jen had loved, or close enough as to make no difference. 

Wes returned his attention to Logan as he asked a question. "Wes. What do you know about Alcott and Ray that could be useful to us?" 

"I know Alcott supervised TransGenics' mutation experiments. And Ray seems to be a result of one of those experiments. Ray doesn't even know he's a mutant. I think he's not very smart." 

"What method were they using to create mutations?" 

"I don't know. All I know is they used it on the sisters -- the first T-Gen mutants we met -- when they were babies. Ray remembered it making him stronger and turning his hair blue, so I guess he was several years old, at least." 

"After birth. It must be one of the older methods. Probably chemical. They cause genetic instability, makes them almost useless. The longer after birth they're used, the faster the mutated person dies. We haven't used them for -- at least fifty years." 

"There's another thing," Alex said quietly. "How old were those first mutants, Wes? The sisters?" 

"Maybe twenty-two, twenty-three." 

"Then Lorent has been working with TransGenics for over twenty years. Traveling back to the past. And we didn't detect it." 

Logan answered him. "He must have been careful not to disturb the timestream. If he only gave TransGenics a small amount of mutating agent, and they only conducted a few small experiments, he would have gotten away with it." 

"But now he's getting greedy. Selling weaponry and apparently encouraging TransGenics to make mutant soldiers -- and killing Eric Myers for the Quantum morpher. He doesn't care about changing history anymore." 

"Maybe he plans to stay in the past. And he figures with history changed, we'll be unable to go after him." Logan looked thoughtful. "This seems to have been a long-range plan. Perhaps he wanted to change history all along, and was waiting for the right time." 

"And the Quantum morpher gives him a perfect opportunity, both to disrupt the timestream in the past and to protect himself." 

Logan looked at all of them. "We've got to stop him here. If he gets away, back to the past again, we may not be able to prevent him from causing serious changes. He's already done significant damage. We have to stop it now." He stood up. "Wes, Lucas, Trip, you should all get some rest. When we trace Lorent's timeship or detect the morpher, you'll have to be ready to go." 

As they all stood up to leave, Wes heard his name. He turned back, reluctantly, to see Alex standing, looking at him with that same hint of challenge. 

"Wait a minute, will you? I want to talk to you." Wes stiffened in anger as Alex and Jen exchanged a glance. She silently passed him with only a look and went out the door. 

"What is it?" Wes asked, hearing the hostility in his own voice. 

"I guess you don't much like me." 

"I… it's nothing personal." 

"Just that you're still in love with Jen, and I've been seeing her again." Wes looked away, not answering. "Jen told me about what happened. I know this is hard on you. Especially after losing your friend," Alex continued. "I wish there was some way to make it easier. But there isn't." 

"In other words, I should just grow up. Act like an adult. Get on with my life, like Jen said." Wes said bitterly. 

"Well… I wouldn't have put it like that. But yes." When Wes turned away he went on. "I can understand how you feel…" 

"No, you can't! You're the one who's with her now. I guess you feel pretty good." 

There was a deep note of anger in Alex's voice now. "Try having your fiancée come back, hand you your ring, and tell you she's fallen in love with someone else. Then maybe you'll know how _I_ felt." 

A twinge of guilt almost penetrated Wes's resentment and pain. Almost. "Maybe you're afraid she'll change her mind again." 

"What does _that_ mean?" 

"Just what it sounds like. It's been over a year, and you're not even engaged again. Maybe you're the one who's jealous." 

Alex stared at him angrily for a moment, and then smiled. But it wasn't a friendly smile. "Don't flatter yourself. Besides, as soon as this is over, you'll be gone." 

"But I'm here now. And that bothers you." 

"I don't own Jen. But we're friends. I don't want her hurt. So maybe I should say it. Stay away from her." 

"I'll do what I want." 

Alex's face was suddenly furious. "You stupid bastard. Hasn't it gotten through to you that I have much more right to be angry than you do? You're the one who broke up our engagement. You're the reason we're not married right now." Wes looked away, angry but having no answer to that. 

After a moment Alex continued more calmly. "Look, we're involved with a vital mission. Any conflict, even with a temporary team member like you, could be a problem. And we can't afford problems, not now. As leader, I need to be sure we can work together." 

"I don't remember signing up for any team. And I sure don't remember making _you_ leader." 

Alex glared at him for a moment. "As soon as you insisted on coming to this time, you signed up. And that puts you under my authority." 

"I don't have to take your orders." 

Alex's voice had gotten angrier again. "I have to know if we can count on you. I don't want this mission jeopardized by a childish, jealous fool!" 

Wes felt himself lose control. All the pain of the last days, all the tension, fear, grief, and loss, seemed to flare out. He glared at Alex furiously. 

"Why couldn't you have stayed dead?" he shouted. He strode stiffly to the door, yanked it open, and ran out into the hallway, almost knocking Trip over. 

_Well, that was a really great start to this mission_, he thought, as he tried to remember the way back to his room. 

* * *


	9. Changes

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Alex, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Logan, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Changes

* * *

Ray was getting weaker. He could feel it, not a big difference yet, but he knew inside it would get worse. Eric had been right, he was sick, maybe dying. Strangely enough, as his physical strength faded, he was still getting smarter. He already knew Alcott had been lying to him all along, and was starting to realize how thoroughly and heartlessly he had been used. 

He looked around at the small house they had been staying in. It was pretty here, on a small mountain overlooking the city. In the future they still seemed to have some places that were mostly trees and grass, despite the buildings that covered so much of the land around them. But pretty or not, it didn't feel right here. He wanted to go home. 

As he got up and walked to the door, he heard Alcott's voice behind him. 

"Ray, where are you going?" 

"Out." He stepped out, into the sunlight. A moment later Alcott had followed him. 

"You know we should be staying out of sight. They have advanced aerial surveillance here." 

"I hate sitting inside." 

"It won't be for long." 

"Where does Lorent go all the time?" 

"He goes to see his friends. We told you that." 

"To get more weapons? So you can take them back and sell them?" 

Alcott looked at him sharply. "That's one of the things he's doing. He's also showing his morpher to his friends." 

"So they can see how it works and how to make more?" He smiled grimly at the expression on Alcott's face. "I told you I've gotten smarter." 

"You've been listening to us again. You shouldn't do that." 

"What are you going to do? Kill me the way you killed that Ranger?" 

"Of course not. We wouldn't do something like that." 

"He said your treatment would make me sick. And it has. I can feel it." 

"How? What's wrong?" 

"I hurt. And I'm not as strong anymore." 

Alcott's eyes moved over his face appraisingly. "I'm sure you'll be fine." He turned to go back inside. 

Ray moved to block him, stepping close. "We've been here for days. I heard you talking about a serum that could help me. Why haven't you gotten it, and given it to me?" 

Alcott backed away a step, looking nervous. "You don't know what you're talking about." 

"You're lying." He stepped closer again. 

"There's nothing I can do!" Alcott burst out. "Lorent is getting the serum. But it's already probably too late to use it on you. He doesn't want to waste it." 

Ray stared at him for a long moment. "At least you're finally telling the truth," he said quietly, and moved aside. 

"I'm sorry, Ray. And you can believe that, too." After a look that might have contained apology, Alcott quickly stepped past him and into the house. 

* * *

They faced each other, Jen watching Alex as they circled, starting their morning combat workout. She usually enjoyed this, but the last few days it had been an ordeal, in fact any contact with Alex had been difficult. Since his encounter with Wes, he had been silent and withdrawn around her. She knew she hadn't been much better with him. 

Alex moved forward, attacking. She deflected the blow and returned it, watching for an opening. When it came she took it, striking him solidly in the hip. He fell back, staring at her, anger flaring in his eyes. 

"Sorry," she said. "Did I hit too hard?" 

"No." He moved back toward her. They continued, training taking over, the rhythm of combat practice focusing her mind. She watched his face, hard and cold, without the occasional smile he usually had for her, even here. Finally she had had enough. 

"Alex?" she said, stopping and stepping back. "What's wrong?" 

"You know damn well what's wrong!" He stared at her for a moment and then turned and started out of the room. 

"Alex, wait!" She ran after him. "What's the matter with you?" 

"Wes is the matter. You want to know what he said to me? Besides wishing I was dead? He pointed out the fact that we're not engaged again, after more than a year. He said I'm the one who's jealous. And he's right." He had stopped and was staring at her, his face now hot with anger. 

"I'm... I'm sorry he said that." 

"You've never been able to forget him. Admit it." 

"I know I can't be with him. I know that. I have no intention of going back to him." 

"If it was up to me, we'd send him back to his own time right now. Better for you, and better for our mission." 

"He can help us." 

"Can he? I don't trust him." 

She took a step closer. "I know you're angry with him. But Wes is a Ranger. I know what he's like. He'll do his best to help us, no matter what." 

Alex's face calmed a little. "Yes. He's a Ranger. I hope he lives up to it." 

"He will." 

He paused, looking at her intently. "Can you honestly tell me you don't still love him?" 

"I..." She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. 

"That's what I thought." He started out again. 

"Alex, wait..." 

But all he did was throw her another hard look as he left the room. 

* * *

Another tour. Wes wasn't really in the mood, but anything was better than sitting in his room alone, alternating between anger at Jen, hatred of Alex, and guilt at his own behavior. The guilt was starting to win. He reminded himself that this was an opportunity he shouldn't even consider passing up. How many people got the chance to see the future? He smiled at the thought of Dr. Zaskin. He'd be willing to give up important body parts for a chance like this. 

"Nice to see you smiling again," Katie commented. She was sitting next to him in the flyer, a small, car-sized ship just big enough for the four of them. Lucas was driving, and Trip sat in the other front seat. 

He had seen Jen and Alex only in the daily briefings Captain Logan gave. Neither had made any attempt to talk to him again, although he had caught Jen watching him a few times. He had looked for signs of any affection beyond friendship between them, and seen nothing. But maybe they were just good at hiding it. 

"Okay, we're off," Lucas said. They lifted smoothly. The flyer's engines made only a soft humming sound. It was very similar to the Timeflyers, but didn't feel as powerful. They rose in a long loop over the Time Force complex. 

Wes looked down. "It's big," he commented. "How many people work here?" 

"I guess about twenty thousand people work for Time Force," Lucas answered. "Not all of them here. A lot of people live here too. Like us." 

"How many Power Rangers?" 

"The five of us, including Alex as the Black Ranger, and two other teams. Fifteen in all. The other teams are still in training. They aren't located here, that's why you haven't seen them." 

"Alex is the Black Ranger now?" 

"Yes," Trip answered. "Since you had taken over as the Red Ranger and kept your morpher, he didn't want to be the same color." He hesitated before going on. "You shouldn't be mad at Jen and Alex. They didn't do anything wrong." 

Wes answered reluctantly, "I know. I just can't help it." 

"We understand," Katie said. 

"Don't worry, you can all count on me for this mission. I won't let you down, if that's what you're thinking." 

"We know you won't. We're worried about you, and Jen. And Alex. This is hard on them too." 

"I guess," Wes muttered, both anger and guilt rising up again. 

"We're going over the main part of downtown now," Lucas announced. Wes watched as they gained altitude, getting high enough to fly over impossibly high towers, many with decorative spires and domes on the tops. 

"You guys build _high_." 

"Sure," Katie said. "The big cities are really dense, even more than in your time. The only way to build is up." 

"So the population kept getting bigger? You're more overpopulated than we are?" 

"We've controlled our population. But almost everyone wants to live in the cities. The rural areas are mostly farms, run by machinery, with very few people living on them. But that gives us space for some big parks in the countryside." 

"You seem to have solved the pollution problem, too." 

"Yes. We kind of had no choice." 

Wes turned away from them to look out as they swept on, the city thinning out now below them, fields opening up, the familiar California coastline visible. Despite the dazzling view, now he found himself wishing he was in his room again, alone. 

* * *

Lorent was back. Ray watched him land his flyer, get out, and come toward him. His eyes settled on the morpher on his wrist. The one he had killed Eric to get. Now he was going to let Ray die, too. But it wouldn't be that easy. 

"Ray. What are you doing out here?" 

"Getting some air." 

"You should get back inside." 

"Why? Afraid Time Force will find out where we are?" 

"How did you know about Time Force?" 

Ray smiled. "I can hear better than you think. I've heard a lot of things." 

Lorent looked at him, annoyance on his face. "You can tell me about it inside." 

"I know the treatment you and Dr. Alcott used on me is making me sick. I can feel it already. There's a pain inside my bones. It hurts sometimes when I move. You could get the serum I need and help me. But you don't want to _waste_ it on me." 

"Ray -- calm down. Everything will be fine." Lorent put a hand on his arm and tried to move him to the door. 

Ray pushed him off. "Everything's _not_ fine! Both of you have just been using me! You don't care what happens to me!" 

"Ray, you know that's not true." It was Dr. Alcott's voice. He had come to the door of the house. 

"It _is_ true." Ray calmed himself with an effort. He had already made the decision. "I'm going to Time Force, and tell them all about you. Maybe _they_ can help me." He started for the flyer. He had watched Lorent drive it, and was sure he was smart enough now to do it too. 

"Ray! Come back here!" Alcott shouted from behind him. 

"No! All along I've done what you wanted, and believed your lies. But no more. I'm going." 

He heard Alcott yell at Lorent, and then Lorent's voice shouting, "Quantum Power!" When he turned, the Quantum Ranger was aiming his blaster at him. 

Ray smiled. "What makes you think you can beat me, when Eric couldn't? He was twice as good as you." 

"We'll see." Lorent fired at him. Ray still had most of his speed, he dodged and leaped for his opponent. 

* * *

There was a soft beep from the control panel. Lucas answered it. Wes could clearly hear Captain Logan's voice. 

"We've located the Quantum morpher. It's been activated. There's no time for you to return to base. Proceed to the coordinates I'm sending. Alex and Jen will meet you there." 

"On our way," Lucas replied. "Sorry, Wes. Tour's over." 

Wes stared out as they swiftly turned, sped up, and descended toward a hilly region after a few moments of flight. Another battle was coming up, one they needed to win. He could only hope they would have better luck this time, and stop Lorent and Alcott once and for all. This time there would be six of them. Six Rangers again. Just like old times. Almost. 

* * *

They met at the door to the flyer, exchanging a swift and silent look as they went in. Jen slipped into her seat next to Alex, as he took the controls and started up. She checked the ship's weapons status and then risked a glance at his profile. 

"Alex..." 

"They're not far. ETA less than ten minutes." 

"Right," she said faintly. 

"Get ready for takeoff." 

He turned to look at her briefly. To her surprise, he smiled. "We're teammates, Jen. We'll always have that, no matter what. We can work out our problems after this is over." 

She nodded, smiling, not quite trusting her voice. They lifted off, smoothly, turned and rose into the sky. There was a fight coming up, a critical one, and everything might depend on them. Alex was right. The most important part of their relationship -- the one part they both knew they could always count on -- was the fact that they were partners, and Rangers. They had a job to do, and they would do it the best way they could. She turned back to her control panel, and turned her thoughts to their mission. 

* * *

They spotted three men outside the small house they were approaching, three faces turning up to look at them. Or rather, two faces and the Quantum Ranger's helmeted head. Wes's eyes narrowed as all his rage at the man who had killed Eric to steal his morpher returned. 

They landed dangerously fast and piled out, already morphed. Wes headed straight for Lorent -- he refused to think of him as the Quantum Ranger -- who was running, Ray right after him. Alcott was in the doorway of the house, as in their previous battle, with a blaster. Wes fired at him as he passed, and saw him duck inside, unharmed. 

"Lucas, Trip, you get Ray!" Wes shouted. "Katie, we'll go after Lorent!" He ran, Katie right behind him, and passed Ray, who stopped and watched him, not trying to attack. There were shouts as Lucas and Trip went after him. Wes fired, hitting Lorent in the back. He stopped, whirled, and fired back. He was getting better, he hit Katie. She fell, but was up again immediately. 

Wes fired again, with Katie joining in. Lorent threw himself to the ground, avoiding the shots. He _was_ getting better. A moment later the TF Eagle had appeared and swept in, landing in front of Lorent and shielding him while he jumped aboard. In a moment it was airborne. Wes fired at it in frustration. 

"I'll get him!" Lucas shouted from behind Wes. He was running back to the flyer, Trip right behind him. 

"Lucas!" Katie yelled. "That flyer's not equipped for fighting! It's too dangerous!" Lucas and Trip kept going. They disappeared inside the flyer and took off seconds later, sweeping upward to pursue the TF Eagle, now circling above. 

There were two more enemies left. "Katie, you go after Alcott. I'll take Ray," Wes said. She nodded and headed back to the house. Wes aimed his blaster at Ray, who was standing a few yards away, strangely enough not doing anything. 

"All right, Ray. You have nowhere to go now, and no one to help you." 

"You don't understand. I'm not…" 

They both looked up, startled, at the sound of an explosion overhead. Wes saw Lorent firing at the flyer from the Eagle, hitting it for what was obviously the second time, sending smoke and flame bursting from its side. It turned back and rapidly descended, with the Eagle right behind it, still firing. 

"Trip! Lucas!" Wes shouted helplessly. Lorent fired again, grazing the flyer. But another ship appeared, coming in fast, opening fire on the Eagle as soon as it was in range. It was a small Time Force fighter ship, obviously Jen and Alex, joining the fight as promised. Lorent exchanged a few shots with it, and then ran, the fighter streaking after it. Meanwhile, Wes watched as the flyer with Trip and Lucas aboard attempted to pull up for a landing, slowed, then crashed into the ground. Wes ran for it. 

The flyer was wrecked, but not as badly as Wes had feared. The cabin was still intact. He ran to the door, and struggled with it, aware of the fire blazing in the engines. Another pair of hands joined his, and he looked up to see Katie. 

"Get back!" she shouted. He stepped out of the way as she ripped the door from the cabin wall and tossed it aside. They both climbed in. 

The interior was filled with smoke, and there was no movement. Part of the ceiling had collapsed on the two front seats. Katie moved in again and lifted it, trying to keep it level. Wes slipped past her and saw Lucas and Trip, demorphed and unconscious, in their seats. Lucas was closest, he grabbed him and pulled him out of the seat. There was a movement as someone else went past him in the smoke, lifted Trip, and carried him toward the door. Wes followed, dragging Lucas. 

As he went through the cabin doorway, Wes heard Katie drop the ceiling section, and saw her follow them. She caught up and together they carried Lucas a safe distance away. Then he looked around for Trip. 

"Hey! Leave him alone!" he shouted. Ray was a few yards away, bending over Trip. Wes ran to them as Ray backed off. 

"Take it easy. I was just trying to help. Who do you think got him out of there?" 

"He'd better be okay." Wes checked Trip. He was breathing, and starting to move. Katie was next to him an instant later, Lucas limping behind her. They confronted Ray, who stood tensely, staring back. Above them, Wes saw the Time Force fighter ship returning, rapidly coming in for a landing. There was no sign of the Eagle, or of Alcott. 

"I'm not your enemy," Ray said quietly. "Not anymore. I need your help." 

* * *


	10. Past Mistakes

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Alex, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Logan, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Past Mistakes

* * *

Ray sat in the chair, uncomfortable and self-conscious, wanting to curl up and disappear. He was in a Time Force infirmary examination room. He was getting tired of all the questions, and of being poked with needles and having instruments waved at him. Doctors in the future were just as bad as in 2003. Maybe worse. 

An impressively tall man sat in front of him. Ray had shaken hands when he introduced himself as Captain Logan. Now he was talking, going on and on, and asking questions. The others, the Rangers Ray had surrendered himself to, stood or sat behind him. Two of them -- Lucas and Trip -- had also been treated, for the injuries they had gotten in the flyer crash. He had been introduced to all of them, but only Wes Collins wouldn't shake his hand. 

They had told him that Alcott and Lorent had gotten away. He was sorry for that. They should be punished, for what they had done, to him and to Eric. Instead they were out there, somewhere, making plans to do more damage. He could tell by their faces and voices that Logan and the Rangers were scared. 

But he wouldn't be much help. Ray was tired, tired of listening and answering, but also with a bone-deep exhaustion. He knew it was part of his sickness, the one the treatment had caused. 

"When did you start the treatment, Ray?" 

"About three months ago, I guess." 

"How did they give it to you?" 

"They put a needle in my arm." 

"What effects do you feel from it?" 

"At first, I just felt stronger and faster, a little more each time. I could see and hear better too, especially hearing. Then I started to get smarter. Now, I'm losing some of my strength, and I'm having pain." 

"The treatment they gave you caused genetic instability. It's making your DNA deteriorate." 

"I know. That's what the first Ranger told me. Eric Myers." He saw Wes's face tighten at the mention of the name. "He said it would kill me. Is that true?" 

Logan sighed. "We're doing what we can. But the older you were when you were mutated, the faster the DNA breaks down. That's presumably why they picked someone so young. Which makes what they did even more despicable. A lot of damage has already been done. The serum Wes told us about, the one we're treating you with, has only been able to slow it down." 

"So I'm dying." He felt less fear than he had expected, mostly a dull anger at Alcott, for betraying him. "Maybe I deserve it," he said softly. "If I hadn't helped them capture Eric, he would still be alive." He saw Wes turn his face away, and spoke to him directly. "I'm sorry about your friend. I tried to help him, at the end. I swear, I didn't know what they were doing to him, until it was too late." Wes didn't answer, or even look at him. 

Logan spoke to him again. "You can help us against Alcott and Lorent, if you want to." 

"I'll do whatever you want." 

"What do you know about their plans?" 

"I heard them talking. Lorent has friends that he got more weapons from. And he showed them the Quantum morpher. They're going to try to make more of them." He saw several of them exchange uneasy glances. "They're going to go back to the past again. To my time. They want to change things, so you won't go after them and their friends will be more powerful in this time. I heard them talk about attacking Bio-Lab." 

"They're going to try to prevent us from existing. Just like Ransik," the pretty brown-haired woman -- Jen -- said softly. 

"We stopped Ransik. And we'll stop Lorent and Alcott, too," Wes said. 

"I heard them talk about the serum. I guess the one you've been using on me. They're trying to get some to take back." 

Logan turned his head to the others. "The serum. Eric must have told them about it. With it, they can make as many mutant soldiers as they want, without genetic instability. Another major problem." 

He turned back to Ray, his face grim. "You've been a big help. We'll do what we can for you. Let me know if you need anything." He stood. 

Ray stood too. "Don't worry about me. No one else ever has. Just get them." 

They all started to file out. Ray took a step forward. "Wes." 

"What?" 

"I meant it. I feel bad about Eric. I even turned off the machine they were using, but it was too late. If I'd understood what was going on..." 

Wes finally looked at him. "It's Alcott's fault, more than yours. And Lorent's." 

"But I was involved. I thought I had become some kind of superhero. But Eric was the real hero. And I helped kill him." 

Wes's face was sad, but no longer angry. "You made mistakes. Everybody does. You didn't know any better." 

"And I'm paying for them, now." 

"Yeah. It's our job to make sure Alcott and Lorent pay, too." 

* * *

As he started to open his door, Wes heard her step behind him. He knew who it was instantly, through some strange connection he felt they still shared. 

"Wes? We need to talk." 

"Jen. Come on in." He held the door for her. She walked in and looked back at him. 

"I haven't talked to you in a couple of days. How are you doing?" 

"Okay, I guess." 

"Are Lucas, Trip, and Katie taking care of you?" 

"They've been great. They keep taking me on tours." 

She turned away from him and walked to the window, looking out over the city view. "Maybe I should have spent more time with you, but under the circumstances..." 

"Yeah. The circumstances." 

Still with her back to him, she went on softly. "This mission will be over soon. If we succeed, you'll go back to your own time. If not -- I don't know what will happen. I don't want things to end like this between us." 

"Neither do I. I said some things I shouldn't have. Both to you and Alex." 

She turned to face him. "I guess I did too. I should have been more considerate." 

"You were fine." He looked down at the floor. 

"Wes, I don't like the idea of you being with someone else. But I meant it when I said you should go on with your life." 

"Easy for you to say. You seem to have already done it." He softened it with a faint smile. 

"I'm trying to. But I want _you_ to be happy, too. Isn't that part of love? The most important part?" 

"I guess that's the way it's supposed to be. I'm trying, Jen. But it's not easy to get over you." 

She smiled. "Isn't there a saying in your time? 'Who told you life was supposed to be easy?'" 

He smiled back, with difficulty. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Anything." 

"If there was some way we could stay together -- if you had the choice -- which of us would you be with? Me or Alex?" 

She looked at him, visibly upset. "That's not a fair question." 

"Who said it was supposed to be fair?" 

"I don't have a choice. I can't leave my own time. My life is here, and yours is in 2003." 

"You haven't answered the question." 

"Wes -- what do you want me to say? That I still love you, and I'd give anything to stay with you?" She took a step to the sofa and sank onto it, face crumpling. Her breath caught in a sob. 

Feeling thoroughly ashamed of the surge of happiness he felt, Wes sat next to her. "I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have asked." 

"The truth is, I didn't want to see you because it was too painful... because I had accepted things the way they are, and now I have to go through saying goodbye all over again. I want so much to be with you... but Time Force would never allow it. We can't interfere with previous times." 

With a resolute look, she sat up straighter and wiped her eyes. "I wish I had the freedom to choose, but I don't, and neither do you. We have to stay in our own times. Apart. Forever." Her voice trembled again. 

Wes put his arm around her shoulders. "I should have understood. Maybe I do need to grow up a little." 

She looked up at him. "No. I guess that's one of the things I like about you. I hope you never grow up completely." 

Their faces were only inches apart, Jen was smiling softly, her eyes still sparkling with tears. Wes leaned forward slowly to kiss her, overwhelmed by the sensation of her lips against his, finally making reality of what he had dreamed of so many times. She met him halfway, her arms going around him. He pulled her closer, holding her tight, and for a few moments they clutched at each other with the frustrated passion of more than a year of separation. 

A chime from the room communicator interrupted them. Reluctantly they drew apart, and Wes got up to answer, pressing the button that would activate a voice link with whoever was calling. 

"Hello." 

"Wes?" It was Captain Logan's voice. "There's been a development. Please report to my office immediately. And be prepared to leave." 

"A development," Wes said, turning back to Jen. 

"Looks like this is it," she answered softly. "One way or another." 

* * *

Captain Logan's office was large, but it was crowded now, with Logan himself and the six of them. They sat in front of his desk, like an audience waiting for the speaker to start. Wes and Jen were the last ones in. Wes saw Alex glance at them, his eyes questioning and perhaps suspicious, as they took their seats. 

"You can guess why we're here," Logan began. "Our instruments have detected an unauthorized timehole, going back to 2003. It must be Lorent and Alcott. They've escaped again. We also have a report of the theft of a stock of the Venomark serum from a research institute in the city. That means Lorent and Alcott are back in the past, with weapons, the Quantum morpher and probably the means to duplicate it, the mutating treatment, and the serum. We have a major crisis on our hands." 

"How bad is it?" Alex asked quietly. 

"Bad. We're starting to see signs of serious disruption in the timestream. We could have handled the disturbance caused by Eric's death. He had already made the most vital part of his contribution to history, although there were other things he's supposed to do. But this is much worse. Lorent knows exactly what to do, in order to prevent our existence, and the evidence says he did it. 

"We have only preliminary indications now, but it looks like he not only provided local criminals in the past with weaponry, but used the mutating treatment to build an army of mutant soldiers. With the serum to stabilize them and TransGenics' resources at his disposal, there was nothing to hold him back. It looks like TransGenics also was able to duplicate the Quantum morpher, and arm many of the mutants with it. They became unstoppable. Silver Hills and Bio-Lab never recovered. Under these attacks, and without Eric's leadership, the Silver Guardians went out of business." 

"Without the Guardians, there will be no Time Force. No control over mutant technology. War between humans and mutants, like in the other alternate realities," Jen said, her voice shaking just a little. Wes turned to look at her sharply, realizing for the first time just what the connection between the Guardians and Time Force was. 

"Yes. Even worse this time, since it began sooner. And it looks like TransGenics, and Lorent, were able to gain a great deal of power out of it, which is presumably what they were after all along. They've created a new reality, one we haven't seen before. We don't know the details yet." 

"How long before it affects us?" 

"A few days before this reality changes. Only hours before the timestream becomes so disrupted that normal time travel will be impossible." 

"Then we have to go, now, and stop them," Wes said. 

"Even the six of you may not be able to defeat them. Lorent and Alcott are very intelligent. They have TransGenics, and all its money and resources, behind them. They only need a few months to have dozens of powerful mutants working for them. You probably won't even be able to find them until it's too late." 

"What does that mean? We should just give up?" 

"Of course not. It means -- there may be another way to handle this. And we're desperate enough to try it. All of this is a consequence of their capturing Eric and getting information and the Quantum morpher from him. He could be the key to preventing all of it from happening." 

There was total silence as Logan paused before going on. "I'll go over some background. Most of you know this, but Wes probably doesn't. 

"Time travel isn't as simple as just picking a time and going there. There are certain time 'distances' that we can jump. In general, multiples of a basic unit of time, varying with the time span involved... I won't go into theory or the mathematics of it. The effect is that when we go back to 2003, we can travel back and forth exactly one hundred ninety-nine years, two months, and roughly five days. No more, no less. In other words, if you travel to your time, spend a week, and come back, it will always be exactly a week later here, and vice versa." 

Wes frowned slightly. "Trip explained that we couldn't go back to before Eric died." 

"Good. That's true, under normal circumstances. It makes sense, if we could jump around to any time we wanted, changing history and then going back again, undoing those changes and making more, the timestream would be in chaos. There's also the problem of the same person existing more than once in the same time." 

"Interesting, but how does it help us?" 

"I'm getting to that. I said we can't do it under normal circumstances, but conditions now are not normal." Logan took a deep breath before continuing. 

"We've known for some time that there are certain exceptions to the rule. When the timestream is severely disturbed -- as it will be very soon -- it becomes possible to change the time jump interval by perhaps as much as a couple of weeks. Until now, it's been impossible to even try it; no ship could survive the trip, because of the roughness of the timestream and the additional stress caused by the non-standard jump. And of course, the kind of disruption of history that makes it possible is very rare. But in the last year, we've developed a new type of experimental timeship, much stronger, and protected by time stability fields. One of them could do it, at least in theory. 

"It will still be extremely dangerous, and this mission will be on a volunteer basis. If we're successful, we can send you back to ten days before our corresponding time in 2003. Before Lorent and Alcott arrived back in the past. Before they left the past, to come here. Before they got the Quantum morpher and found out about the serum. And _that_ means…" 

Wes smiled, his first genuinely happy smile in the last ten days. "That means we get a do-over. And Eric gets a second chance." 

* * *


	11. Replay

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Alex, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Logan, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

* * *

* * *

Replay

* * *

"Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy time trip." 

Wes smiled. Lucas had watched too many old movies during his stay in 2001. At least he misquoted from the classics. 

"Wes. Are you sure you understand what's going to happen?" 

"Yes, Trip. You and Logan only explained it a million times." He sighed. The whole thing sounded so bizarre. "Go ahead and tell me again, if you want." Anything to distract himself from thinking about how dangerous this was. And Trip looked like he could use some distraction too. 

"The timestream can't tolerate the same person existing twice at the same time. When we arrive in the past, you'll exist in the timeship, and at the same time your previous self will exist back in your house. The timestream won't allow that to happen. So as soon as we exit from the timehole, the two versions of you will merge. Hopefully what'll happen is you'll replace your previous self, keeping your memories of the last ten days, and healed from your injury." 

"What do you mean, 'hopefully'?" 

"That's the theory. It's never been tested. No one's ever done this before. You could also just vanish from reality, leaving only your previous self. Some scientists even think this universe could be wiped out of existence." 

"Oh, great. Now you tell me." 

Trip laughed. "That's not very likely. The theory's pretty well established. But you still have time to back out." 

"No way." 

"Get ready, people. I'm about to open the timehole," Lucas announced. 

The deep rumble of the engines changed pitch. Wes watched through a ceiling porthole as the familiar beam stabbed into the sky, blossoming into the whirlpool of a timehole. It swirled, black and violet with lights sparking inside. Then it changed subtly, the color becoming first greenish and then blue. 

"It's a non-standard timehole," Trip said softly. "That's why the color is different." 

Wes glanced around at the others in the ship. Trip sat next to him, at the back. Katie and Jen sat in the row in front of them, Lucas was piloting, and Alex sat in the co-pilot's chair at his side. All of them had volunteered, without hesitation. He wondered if all of them were as scared as he was. 

"Remember, Wes, when we get out of the timehole, we won't be able to communicate until we land. Don't panic if you can't contact us right away." 

_If you land._ He didn't say it. "I know, Trip. You told me." According to theory, he would disappear from the ship and find himself at home, in bed, where his previous self had been. He'd have to act fast, after that, no matter what happened to the others. That was part of the plan. If the ship didn't make it down safely, it would all be up to Wes. 

His eyes rested on the back of Jen's head. If he had the choice, she wouldn't be here. He hated the thought of her taking such a risk. But she was a Time Force officer, she had chosen to come on this mission, and she belonged here with the rest of them. 

They lifted off smoothly and rose swiftly. Wes looked to the side, trying to imprint his memory with the sight of Time Force headquarters and Silver City spread out beyond it. It was the last time he would see them. 

The ship turned. "Here we go," Lucas said softly, his voice steady. 

They accelerated forward and plunged into the timehole. Color swirled around them, seeming to invade the air inside the ship. Wes felt energy rippling through him, almost painful in its intensity, and then a feeling like static running over his skin. The ship shuddered and began to rotate, or perhaps gravity was shifting. After a moment it steadied. 

Colors rushed by, faster and faster, disorienting in their speed and intensity. Wes looked away from the portholes, his stomach jumping. Then the whole ship jumped, lurching violently, dropping, then smoothing out, but only for a minute. A deafening banging came from the back. They were suddenly weightless, then crushed into their seats, then yanked from side to side. 

Wes looked up as a dazzling bright light began to shine through the front viewscreen. They flew toward it, like a moth to a flame, Wes thought uncomfortably. The ship shuddered, feeling like it would come apart at any moment. Wes shielded his eyes. 

"Hang on! We're coming out!" Lucas shouted. 

Trip turned his head. "Good luck, Wes!" 

"Good lu-" 

* * *

Darkness, more than darkness, absolute absence of light. Absence of anything. No gravity, but he didn't feel sick, or like he was falling, because his body was gone too. No fear, no pain, no thought, nothing, for either a microsecond or a millennium. 

* * *

Wes sat up. It was suddenly quiet, still dark, but a normal darkness now, with moonlight showing him the room around him as his eyes adjusted. Softness under him. His bed, in his bedroom. He was home. 

Scrambling up and clicking on the light, he grabbed his watch from the night table and checked the date and time. Wes smiled and raised his morpher. 

"Eric?" He waited, nerves jumping as it took a few moments. 

_"Wes. What is it?"_ Eric's voice, sounding hurried, impatient, slightly annoyed, and most of all, _alive_. 

Wes grinned shakily and steadied himself with a deep breath. "Where are you?" 

_"Headed for the west side… What's wrong? I'm kind of busy right now." _

"You've spotted a timehole there. You're going to the T-Gen warehouse." 

_"Damnit! I told Miller not to contact you!" _

"Don't blame Steve. Listen, I'll meet you there. Find the Guardians and wait for me." 

_"You're not in shape for a fight. We already talked about this." _

Wes smiled again. "I've had a miraculous recovery." 

_"Bullshit. Just stay where you are. We can handle this." _

"Eric… do you trust me?" 

A sigh, audible over the communicator. _"Yeah, I guess." _

"Then wait for me, with the Guardians. Please." 

_"Jesus. All right. Twenty minutes, and that's all." _

"Good enough. I'll be there." He disconnected. 

Wes started to look for his clothes and then decided he didn't have the time. He charged out of the bedroom in his pajamas, raced down the stairs, ignored his father's started exclamation from the living room doorway, and ran out into the night. He paused only long enough to tap his morpher. In a moment the Red Ranger was on his vectorcycle, driving west. 

Once on the main road, he raised his morpher. There had been enough time. He had to know. 

"Jen?" Again that panicky feeling, as a few seconds ticked by. And then… 

_"Wes. You made it." _

"Jen!" He laughed in sheer relief. "So did you." 

_"Barely. We're getting ourselves together. What's going on?" _

"I talked to Eric. I'm meeting him at the warehouses in a few minutes." 

_"We'll see you there."_ The communicator shut off. 

Wes knew the streets of Silver Hills well, and he had rehearsed this route in his mind a dozen times. It was late, there was little traffic. He was there in only fifteen minutes, spotting a dark line of Silver Guardian SUVs with a knot of people standing by them. 

He parked quickly and ran toward them, looking for a red beret until he remembered Eric had been wearing street clothes. And there he was, saying something to Miller, then turning and walking to meet Wes. 

"Wes! What's going on?" He stopped as Wes demorphed back into his pajamas, and then smiled. "What's this, your new superhero costume? What are you doing in… _Hey!_" 

Wes was hugging him tightly. He felt Eric tense, and then pat him on the back, briefly and tentatively. He let go and stepped back, grinning. 

"Wes -- is something wrong?" Eric's face held concern, perplexity, and a little amusement. 

"Nope. I'm just really glad to see you again." 

"You saw me at lunch." 

"It's been a lot longer than that, for me." He grinned again and looked up into the moonlit sky. "Looks like we've got company." 

Five Timeflyers swooped down from the darkness almost soundlessly. They landed a few yards away, and the Black, Pink, Green, Blue, and Yellow Rangers climbed off and walked toward them. They stopped when they reached Wes and Eric, and raised their morphers, in a quick flash of light transforming into Alex, Jen, Trip, Lucas, and Katie. 

"What are _you_ doing here? Will someone tell me what the _hell_ is going on?" Eric demanded. 

"Simple," Wes said. "The first time this night happened, you had a fight in the warehouse with Alcott and this jerk from the future, Lorent, and a mutant named Ray. They captured you, and took you to their secret base, and hooked you up to this sort of mental torture machine. You ended up releasing the voice lock on the Quantum morpher, and telling them about the serum. Lucas and Trip showed up, and we found you but you died. We chased them into the future, but they got away, and they were going to change history and screw everything up, so we came back to tonight, to do it over again, keep you from getting killed, and keep all of it from happening." 

Eric stared at him. "_What?_" 

"All of this happened before-" 

"I heard you. That's crazy." 

"I swear it's true. Ask Trip or Lucas." 

"I was _dead_?" 

"Dead as a doornail." He grinned again. "We had a very nice funeral for you." 

Eric eyed him suspiciously, and then looked the others over. They were all smiling at him, even Alex. "It's still crazy, but I guess it must be true, or _they_ wouldn't be here, all grinning at me like that. So... what now?" 

Wes took a step toward the other Rangers, smiling with a little hesitation. "Alex? You're in command." 

He showed surprise only for an instant. "Right. Thanks. Wes and I will go with Eric. The rest of you, go with the Guardians. That okay with you, Wes?" 

"Sure is." 

* * *

Eric morphed with the others and watched Jen, Katie, Trip, and Lucas join the group of Guardians. They began to move toward the far warehouse, where his morpher had told him the timeship was. 

"Remember, stay back. Use extreme caution. I don't want anyone getting killed this time," Wes called softly to Miller. Then he and Alex turned back to Eric. 

"TF Eagle!" he said quietly into his morpher. The small flyer appeared above their heads and lowered to the ground next to him. Eric leaped onto it and dropped into the cockpit, followed by Wes and Alex, who each crouched on a wing. Carefully, he took off and looped toward their target. In a few seconds he was setting down on the roof. 

Moments later, he and Wes were lifting a trapdoor, and the three of them were peering down into the dimly lit warehouse. Below them, they could see the timeship, and men swarming around it, unloading boxes that he knew must contain a shipment of weapons. Almost directly underneath, he could see a young man with strange light blue hair, staring up at them, although he was sure they were almost invisible against the dark sky. 

"That's Ray. Watch out for him, Alcott's mutated him," Wes's voice came in his helmet. "But -- he's not a bad guy, really. He tried to help you, later on." 

"He's very young, and not too bright, at this point. He doesn't know what he's gotten into," Alex added. "The mutating treatment will kill him in weeks if he doesn't get help soon." 

"Got it. Ready?" Alex and Wes nodded. "Let's go." 

He drew the Quantum Defender and saw them materialize their weapons. A few shots dropped some of the men below. As the shouting and running started, Eric was first through the trapdoor, leaping down to land in a roll on the floor. Wes and Alex landed lightly beside him. They moved together, back to back to back in a triangle, firing as quickly as they could to stun as many men as they could hit. 

Their opponents began to shoot back and they all dashed for cover, finding boxes and cartons to leap behind and continuing the fight. Energy blasts and gunshots lit the vast space with staccato bursts of radiance, like lightning in a storm. 

Eric heard blaster fire and shouting from the other side of the warehouse. Miller and his men, and the other Rangers, had made their way in and were advancing, working their way gradually closer. The weapons fire between them and the men in black was intense. He saw men running to the cases of weapons, beginning to open them. With those blasters, they would have an advantage. He leaped over the carton he was using as cover and moved closer. In moments he had a clear shot and was firing at the men around the cases, driving them back. 

A movement caught his eye and he looked to see the blue-haired man aiming at him. He dodged, and was taken by surprise at the speed with which the man corrected his aim and fired. The blast caught him, sending him tumbling to the floor. 

"Eric!" Wes was in front of him a moment later, shielding him and firing back. The blue-haired man retreated, but Alex was behind him, blaster aimed. 

"Ray! Fall back! We have to get out of here!" a voice shouted. The men in black were retreating. The air was filled with shouting and cursing. 

"Wes! Alex! Cut them off! I'll take care of this guy," Eric said. 

"Okay. Be careful." Wes said. He and Alex ran toward the doors. 

Eric faced the blue-haired man, who was starting to look frightened. "Jesus, you're just a kid," he said. 

"I am not! I'm bigger than you!" 

"Maybe. But size isn't the only thing that counts." 

"I can beat you." He put away his blaster and advanced on Eric, fists up. 

"Look, kid. Ray. We don't have to be enemies. You don't know what Alcott did to you." 

"He made me strong!" 

"Yeah. But he also used a treatment that made your DNA unstable." 

Ray hesitated, looking confused and uncertain. "I don't know what that means." 

"It means you'll die because of that treatment, if we don't help you." 

"You're lying. Dr. Alcott wouldn't do that!" 

"He already has. We all want to help you. Don't fight us." 

"You're lying!" Ray sprang forward, swinging a punch at Eric. 

He was fast, and strong, but untrained. Eric ducked under the blow and struck back, with little effect. In moments he realized he had a real fight on his hands. Then Ray grabbed at the Defender, trying to yank it from his hand. They struggled for it, almost equally matched, but Eric was still feeling the effects of the blast he had taken. 

He was about to lose the contest when Ray suddenly let go and knocked him back with a blow to the chest. As Ray turned to run a blaster shot hit him. He staggered but kept going. Another shot hit him. Eric aimed with the Defender, fired, and he finally went down. Katie and Trip passed Eric and ran to stand over Ray. 

"He was tough, but we got him," Trip said. 

"Yeah, thanks." 

Eric looked around. The Guardians had moved in, and were rounding up the remaining conscious men in black. He saw Wes pushing Alcott toward them. As he moved closer to the timeship, he saw Alex and Lucas pulling Lorent out, to where a couple of Guardians were waiting to handcuff him. He checked Ray, saw that he was unconscious but otherwise unharmed, and signaled to a group of Guardians to take charge of him. 

In minutes the prisoners were under control, gathered in the space in front of the timeship. Eric did a quick head count, and was gratified to see all of his Guardians were uninjured. He spotted Wes standing apart from the others and walked over to him. 

"You okay?" Wes greeted him. 

"Of course. Piece of cake. We got all of them, with no one hurt." 

"Yeah. Things turned out better this time. A lot better." 

Eric smiled as they both demorphed. "I'm going to have to start calling you pajama-boy." 

"Crap, forgot about that." He looked down at himself, then up at Eric with a grin. "I didn't have time to get dressed. In too much of a hurry to save your neck." 

"Wes..." Eric hesitated for a moment. "Thanks." He briefly gripped Wes's shoulder before locating Miller in the crowd of Guardians, and starting for him. 

* * *

Alex turned as Jen approached, and saw her. He gave her a quick smile. 

"We did it," she said. "Saved Eric, prevented a major change in history, captured Lorent." 

"Yes, a pretty good night's work." He looked at her more closely. "What's wrong?" 

"This probably isn't the right time..." 

He sighed. "But I already know, don't I?" 

"Yes." She steadied herself with a breath before going on. "Seeing Wes again -- you were right about me. Alex, I'm sorry. You've always been so good to me. If I had any sense, I'd marry you tomorrow. But I still love Wes." 

He looked away from her, his eyes distant. "I've been expecting this." 

"I know. All of this hasn't been fair to you." 

"No, it hasn't. You should never have started seeing me again." 

Jen's eyes fell, as guilt rose up. "I'm sorry," she said again. 

"I'll live." 

"I wish there was something I could do." 

He smiled, without any real feeling. "Our mission succeeded. We've prevented a disaster. We should be happy, shouldn't we?" 

Jen felt tears threaten and fought them back. "I don't blame you for being angry. I hope someday you'll forgive me." 

He gazed at her bleakly. "I'll get over it. But you -- you'll have to leave him again." 

"I know." She saw him look up, followed his gaze, and saw Wes watching them, obviously reluctant to interrupt. 

"Go on and talk to him," Alex said softly. "Spend the time you have together." 

"Alex..." 

"Just don't try to come back to me, when you're alone again," he added bitterly, and walked away. She watched him go, before stiffening her back and starting for Wes. 

He met her halfway with a smile. "We did it, Jen. Got Lorent. I guess you'll take him back with you, to stand trial." 

"We have to stay the ten days first, so we don't get back before we left." 

"Right. I forgot about that." 

"I told Alex. It's over," Jen said. 

"You did?" He smiled again, then his face became serious. "I feel bad for him. And I guess we really shouldn't spend that time together. It'll just make things harder, in the long run." 

"We probably shouldn't." She smiled, a little sadly. "But let's face it. There's no way we're going to stay apart." 

* * *


	12. Second Chances

Wes, Eric, Jen, Trip, Lucas, Katie, Alex, Mr. Collins, Dr. Zaskin, Miller, Logan, Philips, Silver Hills and Bio-Lab belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, but I am not and do not expect to make money from this.  
Ray, Gaby, Gunn, Alcott, Lorent, and TransGenics are mine. 

Rated PG-13 : Mild sexuality; harsh language, strong violence. 

Last chapter of this story, hope you liked it. As always, my thanks to everyone who reviewed. Special thanks to Jenny and Cecelia for beta reading and constructive criticism. 

In the next story, 'Time Over', the last part of the trilogy, Jen awakens in a not-so-brave new world... Wes and Eric face enemies from past and future... An old love returns, a new romance begins... 

* * *

* * *

Second Chances

* * *

"Here he is." 

"Thanks." Eric waited for the guard to leave. He was in Silver Hills Hospital, in a specially guarded room. Ray Pettis sat on the bed, not looking very sick, but Eric knew his condition was serious, and getting worse. He had refused treatment, and refused to talk to anyone. This was a last effort. He stood, watching, leaving it to Ray to speak first. 

"What are you doing here? Come to stare at me in my cage?" 

"No. I'm trying to help you." 

"Everyone keeps saying stuff like that. You could help by getting me out of here." 

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen. At least not yet." 

"Yeah." Ray looked away gloomily. 

"You feel sick now, don't you?" 

"I'm okay." 

"I don't think you are. The mutating treatment is killing you. You need help. Now." 

"I don't believe you." 

"You're weaker, aren't you? Not as fast? And starting to have some pain?" 

"Maybe." Ray's voice was soft and unwilling. 

"Alcott did this to you. You're smart enough to know that by now. He used you." 

"No." 

"Yes. You know it's true." 

Ray looked up. "I heard him and Lorent talking a couple of times. About DNA. Genetic instability. I didn't know what it meant." 

"I hear you've been reading up on medicine and genetics. You have a good idea what it means now, don't you?" 

Ray turned his head, his face angry and miserable. "He was nice to me. Just about the only person who's ever been nice to me. I can't believe he did this." 

Eric sat on the chair next to the bed. "There are people who want to help you. For real. Let us do it." 

Ray stared at him. "Why should _you_ care?" 

Eric smiled slightly. "Maybe you tried to help me out once, in another life. Maybe you remind me of myself, a little." 

"Is there still time, to cure me?" 

"According to the doctors, yes. If we start treatment now." 

"And what if I still won't tell you about Alcott and Lorent? Won't testify or anything?" 

"We'll help you anyway. There's no conditions." 

Ray looked down at the floor for a long moment. "Okay. I'll take the treatment. And I'll tell you whatever you want to know. But I want to talk to _you_." 

Eric smiled and stood up. "Good. I'll let the doctors know. And I'll be here to talk to you, whenever you want." 

Ray's voice stopped him at the door. "Will I go to jail?" 

Eric turned back. "Maybe, for a while. Not for long. You're really the victim here. And Bio-Lab and I will do whatever we can for you." With a smile he added, "I know some sisters who'd like to meet you. Alcott worked them over, too. You have a lot in common." 

"Are they pretty?" 

"Very pretty. You'll like them. I've got to go now, and make some arrangements, but I'll be back. See ya." 

"Yeah." Ray smiled. "Thanks." 

* * *

Wes thought it was like deja vu. A beautiful day on the beach north of Silver Hills. His friends shaking hands with Eric, with Katie giving him one of her patented bone-crushing hugs, then lining up to say goodbye to his father. Their timeship waiting for them. The same misery he had felt over a year ago, when they left for home. Of course, things were a little different. Alex was with them, and Jen… 

She had stayed at the house, in his room, just like the last time. He had wondered if that would be a mistake, for both of them, but he wouldn't trade a moment of their time together. He closed his eyes. They had lived every minute with desperate intensity, adding to their store of memories. Soon memories would be all they had left. 

The others, especially Eric, had kept busy in the last ten days. Ray had started to talk, implicating Alcott and Lorent in illegal human experimentation. They had given him the serum in time to save his life, although he had lost some of his strength and speed. He seemed to be keeping his increased intelligence and enhanced senses, however. The sisters had also decided to come forward and testify. 

Once Ray talked, many of the men they had captured did the same. With the evidence they provided, the Guardians and the Silver City police had gotten a warrant to invade TransGenics' secret laboratory complex. They had found it deserted, but enough evidence of illegal activities had been left behind to give TransGenics a severe headache of their own for the foreseeable future. 

But now their time was up. Wes smiled as Lucas and Trip walked up to him. 

"It was great to see you guys again." 

"Yeah," Lucas said. "Too bad the circumstances weren't better. Thanks for everything." 

"I should thank you." Wes and Lucas hugged briefly, then Lucas patted him on the shoulder and stepped back. 

"Trip. Say hello to Circuit for me." 

Trip smiled. "I redesigned him. Now he looks like a clock tower. Sort of to remind us." 

"Really? Too bad I didn't get to see him." 

"Yeah. Take care of yourself, Wes." 

"And you." They hugged, before Trip turned to join Lucas. 

Katie came toward them, with Lorent in custody. Lucas and Trip took him from her and, with a last wave, disappeared into the ship. 

Katie faced Wes. "Willing to risk another hug?" she asked. 

"Of course." They embraced, Katie holding back enough to not cause actual pain. 

"I'll miss you, Wes. It's been great seeing you again." 

"I'll miss you, too. All of you." 

She smiled and walked to the ship, going through the door after a last look. 

Alex and Jen were waiting. They came up to him, Alex's face firmly controlled, tears just under the surface of Jen's. She hung back as Alex shook hands with Wes. 

"Listen, I'm sorry for what I said. About wishing you stayed dead. You were right, I was pretty childish." 

Alex smiled, just a little. "I can easily imagine how I'd feel in your place. I don't know if I would have handled it any better. Maybe worse." 

Wes met his eyes. "I doubt that. You were right, too, that you're the one who should be angry at me. I'm sorry about what happened, Jen and you breaking up. I guess you're right to blame me." 

"Maybe I did blame you, at first. But both Jen and I changed, that year she was in your time. I guess it wasn't meant to be. To tell the truth, knowing it's finally over is a relief. But I'm sorry things can't work out for you and her." 

"I appreciate that." Wes looked at Jen. "I hope you'll still be her friend." 

"Always. Goodbye, Wes, and thanks for your help." Alex stepped back with a final smile, glanced at Jen and walked to the ship, going inside. 

Jen moved up to him. They looked at each other for a long moment before he spoke. 

"Goodbye, Jen. I hope you get all those things you want. I mean it." 

"Thanks. I want the same for you. A good life. I hope someday you'll meet someone who'll love you as much as I do." 

Wes's heart told him there would never be anyone else. But he said only, "I hope so." 

"I love you. Always will. I wish I could stay with you." 

"Then stay. You could just stay here. The hell with the timestream." 

She took his hands. "You know I can't. Time Force would only bring me back. I only wish I knew that you'll be happy." 

He forced a smile. "Don't worry. I'll be fine." 

Jen looked into his face intently. "Wes, be careful. Lorent and his friends in our time were trying to change history by attacking you and Eric. Whoever was working with him may try again." 

Wes frowned. "I hadn't thought of that. But you're right. You guys need to be careful, too." 

"That's our job." She looked past him, at the timeship, and sighed. "I have to go now." 

They hugged tightly, kissed and held each other until Wes let go and stepped back. Their hands reached out and squeezed briefly. Jen stood for another moment, just looking, the tears starting, before she turned and ran for the ship. Wes watched her go, the urge to catch her and stop her almost overwhelming. Then he felt only numbness as the door closed behind her. 

He saw his father and Eric come up beside him as the ship sent a beam into the sky and the timehole opened. They stood with him, watching it lift off, circle above them, and fly away, disappearing a moment later. His father's arm gripped his shoulders in silent support before they all turned to leave. 

* * *

"What was my funeral like?" Eric asked, smiling at how strange the question sounded. 

They were in the Bio-Lab lunchroom again, at their usual table. It had been two days since the other Rangers had returned home, and Wes, after a day of obvious depression, seemed almost back to normal. Eric had a lot of questions saved up for him. 

"It was nice. Like I told you." 

"Who showed up for it?" 

"Half of Bio-Lab. And your neighbors. And Emma came. And Trip and Lucas." 

"Really? Did your father come?" 

"Of course. Jesus, what do you think?" 

"Gaby?" 

"Yes. She looked like she was crying." 

"Yeah?" Eric smiled again, pleased. "How about Miller?" 

"He was there." 

"Mike Zaskin?" 

"Yeah." 

"Gunn?" 

"Sure." 

"How many people, do you think?" 

"Christ, I don't know. Lots." He stared at Eric. "Did you think no one would show up? No one would care that you died?" 

"Well..." Eric sighed. "Over a year ago -- at Commander Porter's funeral -- I remember thinking that if I died, no one would even notice, except for having to get rid of the body." 

Wes smiled. "That's sure not true now. A lot of people noticed." 

Eric avoided his eyes, feeling a little overwhelmed by the idea that he might be important to the people who knew him. "Yeah, well, maybe," he said uncomfortably. "What happened to my birds?" 

"Your neighbors took them. Their little girl seemed to like them." 

"Good. Did I get a eulogy?" 

"Yes, of course you got a eulogy." 

"Who gave it?" 

"I did, and my dad, and Steve." 

"I hope you said something nice." 

"Don't worry, we all lied." 

"I wish I could have been there." 

"You were. But you were dead." 

"Must have made it hard to appreciate it. Who paid for everything?" 

"Bio-Lab. You died in the line of duty, after all." 

"Yeah. I hope it wasn't cheap." 

Wes grinned. "_Now_ you don't want cheap. We spared no expense. My dad insisted on it." 

"That was nice of him." He took another bite of his lunch. "Tell me how I died." 

"It's not the most pleasant thing to remember." 

"If you don't want to, it's okay." 

"No. Probably do me good to talk about it. Anyway, it never happened, now, so I guess it shouldn't bother me." 

"So go on." 

"They had you hooked up to a machine. I showed it to you." 

"Yeah, I remember." 

"Trip said it was sort of like the device that T-Gen used on me. Except it didn't cause violent behavior, it destroyed the brain slowly, and affected the mind. It was meant to break a person down to the point that they would do whatever anyone wanted them to. But it usually killed them in the process." 

"And it made me release the morpher's voice lock." Eric frowned, his appetite receding. 

"Wasn't your fault. You were almost dead when you did it." 

"Still. Giving that morpher to someone like Lorent -- I should have died first." 

"You probably didn't know what you were doing." 

"Maybe." 

"Steve found you still strapped into that chair. We carried you out and you died a few minutes later." 

"Did I say anything?" 

"You… said a couple of things. Pretty incoherent, mostly. You said you were cold. Asked me not to go away." Wes stopped, his face showing the pain of that memory. Then he went on, his eyes on Eric's face. "You called me 'brother'." 

"I _did_?" 

Wes smiled. "You sure did." 

Eric stared at the table, embarrassment creeping through him, as if his deepest feelings had been exposed. "Maybe I was just out of my mind." 

"I think you meant it. It's pretty much the truth, after all. At least... _I_ feel like we're brothers, almost. When you're not being a complete pain in the butt." 

Eric met his eyes, and managed a smile. "I guess I did mean it. Was that all?" 

"That was pretty much it. Then you croaked." 

Eric wondered briefly what that scene had been like, if anyone -- like Wes -- had actually cried for him, but it wasn't something he could ask. Instead he changed the subject. "What was the future like?" 

"Don't you mean, what _will_ the future be like?" 

"Whatever." 

"It wasn't bad. Silver Hills had become Silver City. It's a lot bigger, spread out all over the valley. Lots of towers, very high. Beautiful. A lot less pollution. Time Force headquarters was really impressive, this big round dome with a bunch of big buildings around it. They had whole fields of flyers and timeships, and this big room full of computers and scientists where they study the timestream." 

"It must have been nice to see your friends again." 

"Yeah. But I was… kind of upset about Jen. Acted like a jerk." 

"I thought I was the only jerk around here." Eric paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about Jen. In case I haven't said it before." 

"You have. But thanks." A pause while Wes stared at his plate. "It felt so right to be with her again." 

"You might not want to hear this now, but you really need to start thinking about someone else." 

"Yeah. Maybe. But I can't see myself with anyone but Jen. I just have this feeling that we're meant to be together somehow." 

Eric frowned. "You know that's not realistic." 

"I know. But it's how I feel." After a moment Wes looked up with a slight smile. "_You_ could have had your big chance with Katie, you know." 

"And end up with more broken ribs than you?" Eric smiled. "Besides, I prefer someone a little closer to home." 

* * *

He paused to watch her for a few moments. Gaby was waiting for him in the exercise room, going through the series of stretches and warm-ups he had taught her. She was actually getting almost graceful. And she looked good, her body trim, curved, and strong in a short exercise top and sweat pants. For a moment he stood, smiling slightly, letting himself indulge in trying to imagine her naked. 

Any relationship was a risk, especially one with someone he worked with. Maybe it would be a mistake. But he had come to understand that life was too short to waste, and some risks were worth taking. After Angela, he still had doubts about whether he was ready to try again, but for the first time he felt he would be someday soon. 

"Hello," he said as he walked into the room. 

"Hi. How's it going?" She gave him a warm smile. 

"Not bad. Pretty good, in fact." 

"Yeah? Like what?" 

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just glad to be alive." 

She raised a brow. "That doesn't sound like the Eric Myers I know. What happened?" 

He laughed. "I'll tell you all about it, sometime." After a moment he went on, more seriously. "Sorry I haven't had much time for our lessons lately. We were pretty busy with T-Gen, and the other Rangers. But now…" 

"Now, what?" 

"We never finished buying that computer for me." 

"That's right. Any time you're ready, we can try again." 

"How about tonight?" 

"Sounds good." 

"Want to go out for some dinner first?" 

"Sounds even better." 

"Great." 

"I hope we don't get interrupted this time." 

He smiled. "Sometimes things work out better, the second time. Now, let's get started." 

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

_Year: 2202_

They were meeting in the same small, dark room they usually used, when they needed to be safe from Time Force. Now there were only two of them. A tall, strongly built man with short black hair paced angrily as a slender, silver-haired woman watched him. 

"Failed, again," he said. "And the information we wanted, how to duplicate the Quantum morpher and correct our mutants' genetic instability, never reached me. Now, of course, none of our associates, including Lorent, remembers that reality." 

"TransGenics has been compromised," the woman murmured. "It may no longer be useful, at least not directly." 

"There's another possibility." 

"Yes. Bio-Lab." 

He smiled, suddenly and maliciously. "It would be ironic, wouldn't it? Use Bio-Lab? Bend Time Force itself to our will?" 

She matched his smile. "Then we try again?" 

"Of course. The Rangers aren't the only ones who never give up." 

* * *

*End*


End file.
